Nuclear Threat: Russia Has Used Banned "Novator" Missile Against Ukraine 23 Times

The Russian Federation has already used ground-based cruise missiles 9M729 ("Novator", NATO classification – SSC-8 "Screwdriver"), which are capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, against Ukraine 23 times.

The production of this missile system was prohibited by the international Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). This was stated by Oleksandr Sorochyk, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to International Organizations in Vienna, during a plenary session of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation, Ukrinform reports.

"Russia continues to grossly violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), developing and deploying prohibited systems long before its formal termination — systematically violating its obligations and publicly denying it," emphasized Oleksandr Sorochyk.

Reason for US Withdrawal and 1,200 km Range

The Ukrainian diplomat reminded that it was Russia's production of this missile that became the reason for the United States' withdrawal from the INF Treaty in August 2019. The range of the "Novator" missile exceeds 1,200 km.

"We have confirmed evidence that Russia has used 9M729 cruise missiles – 'Novator' – a ground-based missile system capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and directly prohibited by the INF Treaty," he added.

Massive Terror from the Sky

Oleksandr Sorochyk also provided detailed information to the OSCE about the massive air attacks that Russia carried out against Ukrainian cities in just the past week. During this period, the aggressor launched 1,718 strike drones and 70 missiles, of which 25 were ballistic.

In connection with the escalation of terror, the diplomat called on the international community to take decisive action:

"We call on all OSCE participating states to go beyond expressing concern and strengthen sanctions, isolate the aggressor, reinforce Ukraine's air defense system, and support accountability mechanisms. Any less decisive actions will be perceived by Moscow as permission to continue the terror," Sorochyk emphasized.

Ground-Based Cruise Missile 9M729 "Novator" (SSC-8)

The 9M729 missile is a ground-based cruise missile developed and manufactured in Russia. It gained widespread attention on the international stage due to its role in the termination of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).

Missile Type: Ground-based cruise missile.

Application: Designed for use as part of the "Iskander-K" operational-tactical missile system (after modernization).

Range: Official Russian information claimed that the missile's range does not exceed 500 km, which complied with INF Treaty limitations. However, the US and NATO countries claimed that the actual range of the missile exceeds 1,200 km, which directly violated the treaty.

Warhead: The missile is capable of carrying both conventional and potentially nuclear warheads. Its dual-capable system became one of the main threats to European security.

Purpose: Capable of striking ground targets with high precision.

INF Treaty Violation: The development, production, and deployment of this missile by Russia were recognized by the United States as a direct violation of the INF Treaty, which ultimately led to the US withdrawal from the treaty in August 2019.