Russia strikes Ukraine with the 9M729 intermediate-range missile, which took down the INF Treaty

In recent months, Russia has attacked Ukraine with the 9M729 cruise missile. The secret development of that particular system prompted Donald Trump, during his first presidential term, to withdraw the U.S. from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). The use of the weapon on the battlefield has been reported by Reuters, citing Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. His statement marked the first official confirmation of Russia using this ground-launched missile in combat.

Another senior Ukrainian official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that since August 2024, Russia has fired 23 such missiles at Ukraine. He added that two launches of the 9M729 were recorded in 2022. As evidence, the journalistic outlet received photos of debris from the Oct. 5, 2025, strike on the village of Lapaivka, which killed four people. Experts who examined the photos confirmed that the fragments marked 9M729 matched this missile type.

The 9M729 missile (NATO designation: SSC-8 Screwdriver) was the reason the U.S. withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019. Washington maintained that the missile’s range exceeded the treaty’s 500 km limit — a claim Moscow categorically denied. According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, the missile is capable of carrying either a conventional or nuclear warhead over a distance of up to 2,500 km. A Ukrainian military source said that one of the missiles launched on Oct. 5 traveled more than 1,200 km.

Military analysts note that the use of the 9M729 expands Russia’s arsenal of long-range weapons. As a ground-based mobile system — unlike the sea-launched Kalibr or air-launched Kh-101 missiles — it can be used for launching strikes from safer areas deep within Russia. In addition, using the missile to target Ukraine gives Russia an opportunity to test the system under real combat conditions, experts say, opening new attack vectors and complicating the work of Ukraine’s air defenses.

Western observers view this move as Moscow’s attempt to increase pressure on Europe. William Alberque of the Pacific Forum believes that the 9M729 missile was originally designed to strike targets in Europe. Former British military attaché John Foreman emphasized that Russia's use of nuclear-capable missiles previously covered by the INF Treaty “is a European security issue, not just a Ukrainian one.”

In August 2019, the Pentagon conducted a test of a new ground-launched cruise missile with characteristics that contravened the now-defunct INF Treaty.