Document:Russia has unveiled a new weapon system as a warning to Ukraine and the West
| Russia uses its new weapon system – the RS-26 Rubezh hypersonic missile – as a warning to Ukraine and the West |
Article by Scott Ritter dated 21 November 2024Subjects: Vladimir Putin, Oreshnik, IRBM, Ukraine, the West, NATO, Biden administration
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Russia has unveiled a new weapon system as a warning to Ukraine and the West
Russia has apparently launched a single RS-26 Rubezh road mobile missile against a target in Dnipro, Ukraine (Dnipropetrovsk). According to Ukrainian authorities, the missile struck an unnamed industrial enterprise.
Dnipro is home to the Pivdenmash (former Yuzhmash) missile production facility.[2]
Analysis of imagery of the attack indicates the RS-26 carried six independent warheads, each in turn deploying several submunitions. This warhead package is exclusively for conventional attack. Russia had not been previously assessed to outfit the RS-26 with a warhead of this design.
By unveiling the conventionally armed RS-26, Russia is changing the qualitative nature of the conflict, something promised by President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine and its Western allies must now evaluate the destructive potential of this weapon, and understand that Russia can deliver this warhead to any target in Ukraine or Europe knowing there is no defence against it.
The RS-26 is produced in Votkinsk. It is assessed that the production of the RS-26, which was halted in 2017, was resumed this past summer. With production rates estimated at 6-8 missiles per month, Russia could have accumulated an arsenal of between 30-40 RS-26 missiles.
Although described as an intercontinental ballistic missile, the RS-26’s range actually depends on the warhead package. If armed with a single warhead, it can exceed the 5,000 kilometre threshold used to differentiate between IRBMs and intercontinental range missiles. The RS-26 did not go into serial production because of this ambiguity; at the time, Russia was a signatory to the INF Treaty, which prohibited intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
It is assessed that the six warhead conventional warhead package used against Dnipro would have made the RS-26 used fall into the intermediate range for classification.
Donald Trump withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019.[3] If the United States had remained in the treaty, this version of the RS-26 would not have been available for use by Russia.
