Russia has reportedly begun using a highly significant cruise missile in its attacks on Ukraine, the 9M729—whose secret development was the catalyst for the U.S. withdrawal from a major nuclear arms control pact.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, has confirmed the deployment, stating that the missile, which can carry a conventional or nuclear warhead, has been fired at Ukraine 23 times since August. This marks the first confirmed use of the ground-launched 9M729 in combat.
The 9M729 missile was at the core of a major arms control dispute. The United States insisted that the missile’s true range violated the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which banned ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 km and 5,500 km.
Citing Russia’s non-compliance, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the INF Treaty in 2019. While Russia denied the range violation, military analysts state the missile can fly much further than 500 km. A Ukrainian military source noted that one 9M729 fired on October 5 flew over 1,200 km to its impact site. Some estimates put the missile’s full range at up to 2,500 km.
Kyiv views the missile’s use as a direct challenge, with Sybiha stating it demonstrates President Putin’s “disrespect to the United States and President Trump’s diplomatic efforts.”
Western military analysts note that the deployment of the 9M729—which was originally designed to hit targets across Europe—expands Russia’s long-range strike capabilities against Ukraine. This comes alongside other recent escalations, including Russia’s testing of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile and Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo.
In response, Ukraine continues to press Washington to supply it with long-range Tomahawk missiles (which were not banned by the INF treaty because they are sea-launched), a move Russia has labeled as a dangerous escalation.
