Russia derails Ukraine's Western-backed missile program – FSB (VIDEO)
In a statement on Thursday, the FSB said the operation mounted by the agency and the Russian Defense Ministry targeted chemical and mechanical plants in Pavlograd, Dneptropetrovsk Region, as well as the 'Zvezda' plant and State Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Products in Shostka, Sumy Region.
The impact of the strikes had been confirmed by satellite imagery and open-source intelligence, it added.
The FSB said that Ukraine, with NATO's permission, had planned to use Sapsan long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory. 'Thanks to the joint efforts of the FSB and Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine's missile program plans have been thwarted,' the statement added.
The agency described the damage to Ukraine's military industrial complex as 'colossal,' and said it far surpassed Kiev's 'Spiderweb' operation that targeted strategic Russian aviation in early June. Moscow said that the Ukrainian attack, which involved dozens of drones, damaged several aircraft but dismissed Kiev's claims that approximately 40 warplanes were destroyed.
An unnamed FSB official told TASS that the Sapsan missile systems were developed with financial support from Germany and assistance from foreign specialists.
The Sapsan is a Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile with a warhead weighing around 480kg. The missile can travel at speeds over 6,000kph and has a range estimated of up to 700km.
The FSB published a map outlining the Sapsan's range, with a large part of Western Russia – including Moscow – being within the kill zone.
In May, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany would fund Ukraine's domestic production of long-range missiles, although he did not specify the type of weapon. The German Defense Ministry also stated at the time that investing in Ukraine's production would enable Kiev to have a 'substantial' number of long-range weapons this year.
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has since threatened new long-range strikes deep into Russia, saying Kiev will 'do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory.'
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