The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the successful interception and destruction of a Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missile. The missile was detected and destroyed by air defense systems over the Black Sea near the coast of Crimea.

The Neptune anti-ship missile, adopted by Ukraine in 2020, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 280 km and carries a combat load of about 150 kg. The exact number of missiles of this type in Ukraine's arsenal remains unknown.

In the summer, information appeared that Ukrainian military engineers were able to modernize the Neptune for attacks on ground targets, reducing the warhead and increasing fuel consumption, which could potentially increase the missile's flight range. According to some statements, the main target of the modernized missile was Moscow.

Such actions on the part of Ukraine took place against the backdrop of a ban by the European Union on the use of its long-range missiles to strike Russian territory, but no such restriction exists for Ukrainian developments.

There are also suggestions that Western specialists could have been involved in the process of modernizing Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, since Ukrainian military-industrial companies have access to Western-made parts and components.