Russia readies new 500-mile missile as weapon expert warns of 'terminal end game surprises', tell me about this news in (https://www.foxnews.com/world/russia-readies-new-500-mile-missile-weapon-expert-warns-terminal-end-game-surprises)
14-09-2026
According to the report, Ukrainian intelligence and defense analysts have raised concerns regarding a new Russian ballistic missile capability:
- Missile Specifications and Testing: Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (DIU), stated that Russia plans to conduct final testing of a new type of ballistic missile with an operational range of up to 800 kilometers (approximately 500 miles) by the end of the year. Officials warn these tests could potentially take place during live-fire strikes against Ukraine.
- “Terminal End Game Surprises”: Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), warned that the primary threat depends on the missile’s guidance and flight behavior. If equipped with advanced maneuverability, the missile could perform weaving or evasive maneuvers during its terminal descent phase (“terminal end game surprises”), making its trajectory difficult to predict and counter.
- Impact on Air Defenses: Defeating a weapon with terminal maneuverability would require Ukraine to rely on its rarest and most sophisticated interceptor systems, such as the U.S.-made Patriot system, placing further strain on an already stretched air defense network.
- Volume and Cost Concerns: Karako also noted the risk that Russia may have engineered a design that allows it to mass-produce 800-km-range missiles more cheaply and in higher volumes, allowing Moscow to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses through sheer numbers.