Ukraine has successfully tested its first-ever homemade ballistic missile after months of top-secret research, giving Russia the latest blow amid the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the development but did not provide any specifics about the missiles as he congratulated his military production team on the notable accomplishment.
It is believed that the missile is likely to hit targets within a 200-mile radius. There are some speculations that the missile may be the same Hrim-2 ballistic missile that Ukraine was preparing before the start of the war, although these claims remain unverified.
Previously, the country has been heavily dependent on the Western world for long-range ballistic missiles, but it was still not allowed to use them within Russia. It remains unclear what this new missile development means in the context of the ongoing war and how it will impact the Ukrainian war strategy against Russia.
Russia has recently faced major setbacks in the conflict, including seeing its border invaded by the Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.
The Russian authorities have also reported that at least 500 Ukrainian soldiers have separately tried to invade the Belgorod region, which is located near the Kursk region, a good portion of which is now controlled by Ukraine. This invasion included almost 200 Ukrainian soldiers attacking the Russian border at Nekhoteyevka while nearly 300 were doing the same in Shebekino. Although the invasion was not successful, it resulted in the death of 5 Russian soldiers while injuring 46 others.
In the Kursk region, Ukraine has taken 594 war prisoners, captured 500 square miles of area, and installed their military posts while pushing Russian soldiers back.
Ukraine is not allowed to use American, French, and British long-range ballistic missiles within Russia, which increases its dependency on alternative and less effective weapons. Zelensky has previously noted that he keeps on trying to get permission to use these weapons from the West even if they do not like to discuss the topic.
Ukraine is already using American F-16 fighter jets against Russia, among a slate of other western weapons, though Russia continues to warn the US-led Western world that this strategy can push Russia and America into a direct conflict.
With Kursk in hand, Russia facing historically low military enthusiasm, and now the availability of ballistic missiles, Ukraine is likely to have a solid negotiating position in the conflict. President Zelensky has already stated that the war will only end through dialogue, and he is likely to bring up a peace proposal in September.
Ukrainian reliance on this invasion and the expansion of the war in southern Russian regions is also worrying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has warned about the risks of a “nuclear incident.”
