Constantly under fire from Russia, Ukraine has decided to up the ante by developing a long-range missile that will be able to reach as far as Moscow, the Russian capital, and the seat of the Kremlin.
A report published in The Telegraph states that Ukraine is preparing to attack Russia with an upgraded variant of its ‘Trembita’ cruise missile that will be able to travel up to the Russian capital, Moscow.
The missile is currently under production. The report claims that the larger variant of the missile would be able to travel 650 kilometers, as opposed to the 145-kilometer range that the missile has in its current configuration.
EurAsian Times could not independently corroborate these claims, but previous reports about the Trembita cruise missiles have made similar assertions. The longer-range variant of the Trembita is likely being developed due to the pressing need to launch long-range attacks on Russian assets to curtail its warfighting capacity and derail the production of its weapons by attacking arms factories.
So far, the Ukrainian forces have launched long-range strikes on Russia using the American Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), the British Storm Shadow, and the French SCALP-EG missile. However, it took a long time for Ukraine to secure permission to use these missiles to target Russian territory from its allies in the West.
Initially reluctant for fear of escalation with Russia, the US and its allies finally authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles in attacks on Russian territory in November 2024. However, while it is now allowed to use these long-range missiles, the missiles in its inventory are not unlimited.
Moreover, there is a prevailing uncertainty surrounding military aid from the United States as Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Ukraine, for one, has been making preparations to produce its own weapons due to this uncertainty.
The Telegraph report hints that Ukraine is building longer-range munitions to prepare for an eventuality when it runs out of the long-range ATACMS delivered by the US. “Anticipating the day when it will run out of bespoke American munitions – most notably, 190-mile-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) ballistic missiles – Ukraine is getting ready to build Trembitas and other long-range deep-strike munitions.”
The above assertion comes days after The New York Times reported that Ukraine’s stockpile of the ATACMS was running low, as seen in the reduced frequency of ATACMS attacks by Kyiv’s military in recent times. Speaking on condition of anonymity, two senior US officials reportedly told the NYT that Ukraine probably had only around 50 of the missiles remaining in its inventory when US President Joe Biden authorized Kyiv to launch ATACMS into Russian territory.
Ukraine has stressed for months that it needs longer-range missiles to thwart the advance of its enemy, which has been slow but steady.
The report comes at a time when Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian cities. Moreover, according to recent reports, Russia is expanding its missile and drone production. A CNN report published on December 27 estimated that the Shahed production facility in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Republic of Tatarstan produced 5,760 drones between January and September 2024.
Trembita Will Boost Ukraine’s Firepower Autonomy
Named after a Ukrainian alpine horn, the Trembita missile was first unveiled in 2023. The missile is described as a “miniature modern version” of the German V1 missile from the World War II era, which combines a noisy pulse jet engine with a simple design and GPS controls. The missile, which weighs 200 pounds and is seven feet long, is fired from a ramp.
The Trembita can travel at a speed of up to 400 kilometers per hour thanks to its pulsejet engine, which is rarely used in modern-day missiles. The engine, however, produces a lot of heat and 100 dB of sound, which could make the Trembita a desirable target for enemy air defenses, particularly MANPADS missiles.
The Telegraph report notes that the longer-range Trembita missile could become the biggest symbol of Kyiv’s firepower autonomy. The report claims that Ukraine would likely be able to create thousands of Trembita without external help, making it the most affordable deep-attack weapon in the world.
While it acknowledges that the longer-range Trembita would not have the payload, penetration strength, and accuracy of Western missiles such as the ATACMS or Storm Shadow, it surmises that Trembita could still effectively target Russian industrial complexes.
“A barrage of Trembitas might work just fine against, say, a sprawling factory complex. It might not work so well against the underground command bunkers the Ukrainians have been aiming their Storm Shadows at,” says the report.
The best feature of the Trembita, however, is its cost: US$10,000. Speaking of the upgraded Trembita, the report states, “That version, which should be ready in around a year, would undoubtedly cost more than US$10,000 – but would still be potentially the cheapest deep-strike munition in the world. An ATACMS costs more than US$1 million.”
Though the Ukrainian government has not acknowledged these claims, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in October 2024 that the country was planning to expand its production of drones and long-range missiles in 2025.
“Next year, we plan to increase funding. Our priority is to develop domestic drones and long-range weapons, including ballistic missiles,” the minister had said at the time.
The development and production of long-range drones and missiles started as Ukraine awaited authorization to launch long-range attacks on Russia using the weapons delivered to it by its Western allies. Last year, for instance, Ukraine unveiled its Palyanytsya drone, which allegedly has a range of about 600 to 700 kilometers. In addition, a modified longer-range variant of the Neptune missile has also been developed.
However, the Trembita may stand out as a cost-effective, long-range missile that could reach as far as the Russian capital. If reports are anything to go by, Ukraine plans to produce about 3,000 of these long-range missiles.
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