A test of a Neptune missile in April 2020.
A test of a Neptune missile in April 2020.
  • Ukraine faces restrictions on using US-made, long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia.
  • To work around this, Kyiv has modified its Neptune anti-ship missile for land attack.
  • Ukraine has used this weapon to strike energy facilities inside Russia in recent weeks.

The US has outfitted Ukraine with an arsenal of long-range missiles but continues to put restrictions on how it can use them, limiting its ability to strike Russia the way it wants. As a workaround in this dilemma, Kyiv has turned to a homemade weapon first used to sink ships.