Ukraine develops ballistic missiles that could reach Moscow, prompting Russian S‑400 shift

Ukraine is reportedly developing new ballistic missiles with a range of about 500 km that can strike Moscow. On 1 July a Ukrainian missile was launched toward the Russian capital and was intercepted by Russian air defenses. The emergence of such missiles forces Russia to reconsider its use of the S‑400 air‑defence system, which has been employed in a ground‑attack role, and may have to redirect its most advanced S‑400 units to intercept ballistic threats.

Ballistic missiles travel at supersonic to hypersonic speeds, making them far harder to stop than UAVs or cruise missiles. Ukraine’s primary shield against Russian missiles consists of roughly six U.S.-made Patriot batteries, while Russia is expected to field about 50 S‑400 complexes to counter the Ukrainian threat. Analysts note that the shift underscores the growing challenge of defending against high‑speed, long‑range missile attacks in the ongoing conflict.