Ukraine develops Hrim-2 missile capable of targeting Putin – media

The Telegraph reports.

“Believe me, soon there will be concrete results that will be seen not only by Ukraine but also by the Russian Federation,” Cherniev emphasized.

The Hrim-2 is a single-stage solid-fuel missile with a warhead weighing about 500 kg, developed by the Dnipro Pivdenne Design Bureau. The Hrim-2, which is significantly superior in capabilities to the Tochka missile, has been under development for ten years, and its development accelerated after Russia's full-scale invasion.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August, despite the difficulties associated with Russian shelling of production facilities, the first missiles have already been successfully tested.

Thanks to the Hrim-2, Ukraine will be able to strike strategically important targets in Russia without the need to obtain permission from its Western partners. 

This will allow Ukrainian Defense Forces to strike Russian airfields, military-industrial enterprises, and infrastructure facilities.

“Russian president Vladimir Putin might even face the prospect of strikes aimed at him personally, in retaliation for Russia’s many attempts to eliminate Zelenskyy,” the publication noted.

However, experts point out that although the Hrim-2 significantly enhances Ukraine's capabilities, it will not solve the main problem - Russia's significant superiority in manpower. Despite the significant losses of the Russian army, the lack of trained Ukrainian troops remains a decisive factor on the battlefield. 

“It’s not that Ukraine shouldn’t strike targets deep inside Russia. It should. And with the Hrim-2, it can. But these attacks, while empowering for the Ukrainians and embarrassing for the Russians, won’t turn the tide of the war,”  the statement said.

• The Belgian company Thales has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Ukraine's defense enterprise. In particular, the agreement provides for the joint production of missiles to counter Russian UAVs.