More than 3 years after the start of the war, has Ukraine just unveiled a new deadly weapon?

In March 2025, this new formidable weapon, capable of reaching targets 1000km away, targeted a Russian oil infrastructure.

Its name? The Long Neptune, a cruise missile. Its features? Few details have been released about the missile, but we know it's an improved version of the R-360 Neptune. Manufactured in Ukraine, it's capable of hitting targets 1000km away, and thus striking "military objectives" directly on Russian soil, according to the French media La Dépêche.

On 14 March, the Ukrainian armed forces are said to have used the missile to hit a Russian oil refinery located in Tuapse (southwest Russia), 480km from the front line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Telegram, the day after the attack: "The Long Neptune has been tested and successfully used in combat. A new Ukrainian missile, a precise strike. Range: 1000km".

300kg of explosive charges

Roman Svitan, a reserve colonel of the Ukrainian armed forces, who spoke with the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, highlights that "in its basic configuration, the engine runs smoothly for an hour, allowing the missile to fly at 850km/h. Moreover, the missile is equipped with an inertial guidance system and a radar guidance head capable of detecting targets at a distance of about 20km".

Interviewed by Ukrinform, some experts specified that additional fuel tanks can be added to the Long Neptune and that it could carry between 100 and 300kg of explosive charges.

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: La Dépêche - Illustration: ©Unsplash)