Defence Express shares what capabilities new missile for Neptune complex will have

He said this on the Espreso TV channel.

"The official information from the Ukrainan Armed Forces on the modified missile for the Neptune system is limited to the fact that it is about creating the so-called second version of Neptune. When the military speaks of a "long" version, it means an increase in range. The anti-ship version has a range of up to 300 km. However, when they talk about creating a longer-range Neptune missile, it is most likely not just about destroying ships. This is the main modernisation," Katkov explained.

According to the military expert, when Neptune was developed, it was assumed that in future versions the missile would be able to hit ground targets.

"Getting a cruise missile with a range of more than 300 km, which will make it possible to reach targets in the Russian Federation, is very important. "Neptune will be a ground-launched cruise missile, and it will be a very powerful weapon. This is because the number of launch opportunities is released. The launch of such missiles will be much less noticeable to the enemy. But we need to have not only the development, but also to go into mass production," Katkov said.

• On April 13, 2022, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva, was hit by Ukrainian missiles from the Neptune system. On the evening of 14 April, it became known that the cruiser had sank. On 16 April, the Pentagon confirmed that Neptune missiles had hit the Russian warship Moskva before it sank. 
• Ukraine's defence industry is working on a new modification of the anti-ship cruise missile for the Neptune system.