Russia has already used 23 land-based 9M729 ("Novator") cruise missiles against Ukraine, which are capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and whose production was prohibited under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).
This was stated by First Secretary of Ukraine’s Permanent Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, Oleksandr Sorochyk, during the plenary session of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation.
"Russia continues to flagrantly violate the INF Treaty by developing and deploying prohibited systems long before its formal termination—systematically breaching its obligations while publicly denying it. We have confirmed evidence that Russia has used 9M729 – 'Novator' cruise missiles (NATO designation: SSC-8 'Screwdriver') – a land-based missile system capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and explicitly banned under the INF Treaty," he said.
The Ukrainian diplomat noted that the production of this missile by Russia was the reason the United States withdrew from the INF Treaty in August 2019.
"The missile range exceeds 1,200 km. Russia has already used Novator missiles against Ukraine 23 times," he added.
In his speech, Sorochyk also detailed Russia’s massive air attacks on Ukrainian cities over the past week: during this period alone, Russia launched 1,718 strike drones and 70 missiles, 25 of which were ballistic.
"We call on all OSCE participating states to go beyond merely expressing concern and to strengthen sanctions, isolate the aggressor, enhance Ukraine’s air defense system, and support mechanisms for holding Russia accountable. Any less decisive actions will be perceived by Moscow as permission to continue its terror," emphasized the Ukrainian diplomat.
