A Ukrainian-made missile called “Ruta” had successful first tests as part of a fleet of new weapons the country is developing to fight Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Tuesday. The new missile Ruta, also referred to as Rue, was just one of many weapons that Zelensky discussed during the Borys Patron National Prize presentation.
“Palianytsia missile has entered mass production. Peklo drone missile has successfully passed its first combat use. We have recently handed over the first batch to our Defense Forces. Successful tests of the new Ruta missile are underway. The long-range Neptune will soon become a terrible reality for the occupiers,” Zelenskyi stated, as reported by the Ukrainian media outlet Militarnyi.
Zelensky provided no further details and did not disclose Ruta’s characteristics or capabilities.
He had previously confirmed last Friday that the first round of Peklo, or “hell” in Ukrainian, had been sent to the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The Peklo is a jet-powered missile-drone hybrid that can reach up to 435 miles per hour.
The first Ukrainian ballistic missile was also tested in late August, Zelensky previously shared.
Combat weaponry has been rapidly growing in Ukraine with aid from other Western countries since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.
The United States supplied Ukraine with access to the Army Tactical Missile System in November, which sparked widespread fears of catalyzing the next world war. It was used for the first time on Nov. 19, which led Russian President Vladimir Putin to issue a nuclear bomb warning to the United States.
On the other end of the war, Russia is armed to the teeth with some of the deadliest weaponry available, including nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that can apparently reach 8,000 miles per hour. In late November, Russia fired a hypersonic missile called Oreshnik at Ukraine and threatened to use it against countries providing weapons to Kyiv.
The Russian-Ukraine War has pressed on for almost three years.
On Monday, Zelensky provided a rare update and announced that approximately 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since its start.
This number did not include the injured, which he said had reached about 370,000.
