The Ministry of Defence has demonstrated a ground-based 9M729 cruise missile to foreign military attaches. According to the United States, this powerful weapon violates the Treaty on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF).
This missile is an improved version of the 9M728 (Iskander-M). Compared to the previous model, it has a more powerful warhead and a new onboard control system, with better hit precision. At the same time, the maximum range of the missile’s flight is decreased by 10 kilometers, to 480 kilometers, which complies with the INF requirements. Therefore, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov is sure that our American colleagues’ demands to destroy all 9M729s are absolutely unacceptable.
As is known, the INF treaty bans countries from having cruise and ballistic missiles with a range from 500 to 5,500 kilometers; however, Russia and the United States constantly accuse each other of breaches of the treaty. Representatives of NATO member countries, the European Union, CSTO, BRICS and other countries have been invited to inspect the new missile. The United States announced they would withdraw from the INF Treaty if Moscow does not comply with it.