Ukraine became the first country in the world to be attacked by an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Stratcom confirmed that Russia launched an attack on Ukraine with this type of weapon on the morning of November 21.
Earlier, the President of Ukraine stated this, adding that the Russians have made our country their testing ground.
As of early 2024, Russia had 521 land- and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. 2024, World nuclear forces 2023.
As noted, at the beginning of the year Russia’s strategic missile forces had:
- 34 ICBMs of the RS-20 Voevoda type (deployment started back in 1988);
- 60 ICBMs of the RS-12M “Topol-M” type (deployment started in 1997);
- 18 RS-12M1 Topol-M ICBMs (deployment started in 2006);
- 180 RS-24 Yars ICBMs in silo version (deployment started in 2010);
- 24 such missiles in a mobile version (since 2014);
- about 8 Avangard missiles.
The number of Sarmat ICBMs at the disposal of the Russian Federation is unknown.
Valery Romanenko, an aviation expert and leading researcher at the State Aviation Museum, said on Radio NV that the Russians have created medium-range ballistic missiles and thereby violated agreements with the United States in the early 1990s.
EU response
The use of Russian ICBMs is another escalation on the part of the Kremlin. This was stated by EU Speaker Peter Stano.
Also, according to him, this indicates that Vladimir Putin does not intend to negotiate peace, but continues to increase tensions using nuclear rhetoric.
Why did the Russians use an intercontinental missile?
The RS-26 “Rubezh” missile, which was probably used against the city of Dnepr, indicates that Russia is an insidious and deceitful country in everything.
There is very little information about it because it was most likely created in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
It was concluded between the USSR and the USA in December 1987 and provided for the destruction and cessation of the development of shorter-range missiles from 500 to 1000 km and medium-range missiles from 1000 to 5500 km.
The range of the RS-26 is no more than the upper limit of the contract, stated as 6000 km, but, of course, the missile was designed for deployment in Europe.
So the creation of such a missile was a demonstrative violation of the INF Treaty.
What probably hit Russia?
The RS-26 Rubezh is a missile whose declared characteristics (maximum range 6,000 km) are subject to the restrictions established by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. That is, according to this agreement, such a missile has no right to exist at all. But when did the Russians take international agreements into account?
It is believed that the design of the PC-26 began in 2006 and followed a proven path: to create this missile, they took two stages of the three-stage Topol ICBM.
Half a century ago, the Soviet Deputies used this approach to create the RSD-10 Pioneer medium-range missile, based on two stages of the Temp-2S ICBM.
It is characteristic that the developer (Maskovsky Institute of Heat and Plates) and manufacturer (Votkinsk Plant) of Rubezh remained the same as that of Pioneer – so the continuity of design and technological solutions would seem quite logical.
Test launches of the PC-26 began in 2012 (according to other sources, back in 2011). It was planned that the deployment of the RS-26 would begin in 2017. But in 2018, the Russians announced the exclusion of the Rubezh complex from the state weapons program until 2027. Still, some work was probably carried out to finalize this complex.
“Military” writes that the RS-26 has a length of 23 m and a diameter of 2 m. The missile weighs 40-50 tons (more precise data have not been published), and the entire launch complex (self-propelled launcher on a six-axle MZKT-79291 together with the missile) – 80 tons. For comparison: a self-propelled launcher with the Topol-M ICBM weighs 120 tons.
As you know, Rubezh was designed exclusively for nuclear weapons. Its warhead weighing 1000-1200 kg must be equipped with several (from three to six) individually targeted warheads with a capacity of about hundreds of kilotons (most often 3-4 units of 300 kt each are indicated).
The Russians write that “The missile is equipped with a fundamentally new control and guidance system, working according to a unique algorithm that allows you to evade dangerous objects (anti-missiles) and enter a combat course with a high degree of probability of hitting the target. Individual systems create aperiodic fluctuations in speed and direction that prevent the warhead from being hit in flight.” In any case, to hit such a target, very expensive and specific anti-missile systems are needed – for example, the American THAAD.
What warhead did the rocket fired into the Dnieper today have? I would venture to suggest that there is nothing at all – just a weight and size mock-up.
The fact is that the creation of a conventional, non-nuclear armored vehicle for such a missile is pointless from an economic point of view, because an ICBM (well, even if the RS-26 is not very intercontinental) is extremely expensive. to deliver a whole ton of explosives is too irrational; A pair of cruise missiles will do the job just fine. So the current launch can serve as a kind of demonstration of the technical possibility of delivering a nuclear strike on Ukraine.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.