Ukraine Launches Neptune Missile at Russia

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) launched a Neptune missile at Russia, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily briefing reporting on the progress of the special military operation.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Адміністрація Президента України., https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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The intended target of the missile was not disclosed. The ministry emphasized that the Neptune missile did not reach its objective, as it was intercepted by air defense systems.

Additionally, over the past 24 hours, Russian forces intercepted two American-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and 168 fixed-wing drones. Each of these drones is capable of carrying several dozen kilograms of explosives.

The ministry also said that Russian forces had taken control of another settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic - Dyleyevka.

The Neptune missile is a Ukrainian-designed and -produced coastal defense cruise missile developed by the Luch Design Bureau. Based on the Soviet Kh-35 missile, the Neptune was modernized for extended range and improved guidance systems. It is capable of striking naval and, more recently, adapted land targets at ranges up to 300 km. The missile gained international attention in 2022 when Ukraine used it to sink the Russian cruiser Moskva during the war. It travels at subsonic speeds and carries a high-explosive warhead, making it a key part of Ukraine's asymmetric warfare strategy against superior Russian naval forces.