Neptune Ukraine strikes straight at the “heart” of Russia's defense industry

Ukraine has just announced that it launched a Neptune missile that hit the Elektrodetal defense plant in Bryansk, Russia, opening a new escalation in long-range warfare.

The Ukrainian Navy has just confirmed that it launched a daring attack using R-360 Neptune cruise missiles, directly hitting the Elektrodetal defense plant in Bryansk province, Russia. This facility is considered the "golden link" in Moscow's arms supply chain, which nurtures the defense industrial strength and maintains the heartbeat of the Russian military machine.

The attack took place in the early morning hours of September 29, when four Neptune missiles were launched from a position deep inside Ukraine, about 40 kilometers from the border, with a range of nearly 240 kilometers. Columns of fire were recorded at the target, raising speculation about the extent of the damage.

On its Telegram channel, the Ukrainian Navy announced: “Our Neptune missile hit the Elektrodetal Karachevsky defense plant. Another link in the Russian military machine has been eliminated.” This message quickly spread, with a clear deterrent effect.

According to the General Staff of Ukraine, the Elektrodetal plant not only produces electronic connectors for civilian use, but also supplies components for missile programs, radars, aviation equipment and strategic weapons systems. It is considered the “heart” of many top-secret military projects.

Ukrainian sources also stressed that the factory’s products are also used to manufacture FPV UAVs, including the Chimera suicide FPV UAV that is causing difficulties for Kiev’s forces. Therefore, this attack is both symbolic and aimed at suffocating Russia’s weapons production capacity.

The Neptune cruise missile became famous worldwide in 2022, when two missiles sank the Moskva cruiser - the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet and considered the pride of the Russian Navy. From being just an anti-ship missile, Neptune has now "transformed" into a multi-purpose weapon, capable of destroying land targets.

Earlier this year, Ukraine also launched the Long Neptune variant with an extended fuselage, increased fuel capacity, and a range of up to 1,000 km. President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed that this type of missile had been successfully tested, opening up the ability to strike deeper than ever into Russian territory.

Notably, the attack on Elektrodetal came shortly after Ukraine was accused of using US HIMARS to attack a power plant in Belgorod. The pace and range of the attacks have been escalating, showing Kiev is increasingly bold in targeting Russian defense infrastructure.

In that context, the administration of President Donald Trump suddenly loosened the barrier, allowing Kiev to use some US weapons to attack Russian territory “on a case-by-case basis”. However, the Tomahawk has not yet been given the green light, because Washington is concerned that this type of long-range missile could escalate the war out of control.

Still, Washington’s consideration of supplying Tomahawks is enough to send a signal that its policy toward Ukraine is evolving with the pace of the battlefield. The White House, which was previously cautious about long-range weapons, now shows a willingness to push the limits.

While supporting Kiev, the US faces a major challenge as its missile stockpile dwindles. The Pentagon has set up a “Weapons Acceleration Council” to boost production. The priority list includes Patriot, SM-6, long-range anti-ship missiles and air-to-ground variants, with Patriot at the top of the list amid soaring global demand while Lockheed is still struggling to increase capacity.

However, experts warn that each missile takes two years to assemble and costs a fortune, so expanding production cannot be done overnight. As Ukraine pushes deeper into Russia, the Middle East erupts and the Pacific Ocean churns, demand for long-range weapons and air defenses explodes, pushing the global arms race into a fierce and unpredictable phase.

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