Russia Uses 9M729 Missile in Over 20 Strikes on Ukraine Post-US Nuclear Treaty Exit

Ukraine's intelligence agencies have successfully destroyed a Russian Oreshnik ballistic missile launch system at the Kapustin Yar testing range, marking the first public disclosure of such an operation. Meanwhile, Ukraine has confirmed that Russia has been using the ground-launched 9M729 cruise missile in combat, a weapon whose secret development led President Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. Russian forces have launched the 9M729 missile at Ukraine over 20 times since 2022, with 23 launches recorded since August alone. The missile, capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads with a range of up to 2,500 km, has been used in strikes including one that flew over 1,200 km to hit a target in Ukraine in October 2025. Ukrainian officials see Russia's use of the INF-banned missile as a demonstration of disregard for U.S. diplomatic efforts and emphasize the need for strengthening Ukraine's long-range firepower, including a call for Tomahawk missiles, to pressure Russia into ending the war. Russia has denied violations of the treaty, and its Defense Ministry has not commented on the missile's combat use.