Russia’s latest missile launches aren’t just attacks on Ukraine. They’re a bold message to the world that Moscow’s power games are far from over.

• Russia’s 9M729 use boosts its long-range strike power against Ukraine.

• Analysts say Moscow aims to pressure Europe during Trump’s peace talks.

• Russia tested new nuclear-powered weapons: Burevestnik and Poseidon.

• Trump resumed U.S. nuclear tests after Moscow’s suspected treaty violations.

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Ukraine’s foreign minister says Russia has launched a cruise missile whose covert creation once pushed Donald Trump to pull the U.S. out of a nuclear treaty with Moscow during his first presidency.

Andrii Sybiha’s statement marks the first acknowledgment that Russia has deployed the ground-based 9M729 missile in active warfare—specifically against Ukraine.

According to another senior Ukrainian official who spoke to Reuters, Russia has used this missile 23 times since August, with two earlier launches recorded in 2022.

The 9M729 was at the center of Washington’s 2019 withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. U.S. officials argued the weapon violated the agreement’s range limit of 500 km (310 miles), while Moscow rejected the accusation.

Information from the Center for Strategic and International Studies indicates the missile can travel up to 2,500 km and is capable of carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads.

A defense insider revealed that a 9M729 missile launched by Russia on October 5 traveled over 1,200 kilometers before striking its target in Ukraine.

In a written statement, Andrii Sybiha said Russia’s recent use of the previously banned missile shows President Vladimir Putin’s disregard for both the United States and Donald Trump’s earlier diplomatic attempts to stop the war.

Sybiha told Reuters that Kyiv backs Trump’s peace initiatives but believes stronger pressure on Moscow is essential. He added that enhancing Ukraine’s ability to strike from long distances could help convince Russia to seek peace.

Ukraine has appealed to Washington for Tomahawk missiles, which were exempt from the INF Treaty because they were launched only from ships. Moscow has warned that supplying such weapons would heighten the conflict.

Should Europeans be Worried?

Western defense experts say Russia’s deployment of the 9M729 adds to its stockpile of long-range strike weapons and continues its pattern of sending intimidating messages to Europe as Donald Trump pursues a peace deal.

“Putin appears to be increasing pressure amid the Ukraine talks,” said William Alberque, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum. He noted that the 9M729 was built to target locations across Europe.

Last week, Russia conducted a test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, and days later announced a trial of the nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedo.

The White House declined to comment on Russia’s use of the 9M729. On Thursday, Trump instructed the U.S. military to restart nuclear weapons testing, pointing to the activities of “other nations.”

Following the U.S. exit from the INF Treaty—which prohibited land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers—Russia declared a self-imposed ban on deploying such weapons. Western officials, however, maintain that Moscow had already placed some 9M729 missiles in service.

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