Russia seemingly utilizing unarmed missiles amid weapons depletion – POLITICO

The British Ministry of Protection on Saturday steered that Russia could be utilizing older cruise missiles with out nuclear warheads in opposition to Ukraine.

“Russia is probably going eradicating the nuclear warheads from growing old nuclear cruise missiles and firing the unarmed munitions at Ukraine,” the U.Ok. stated in a tweeted protection intelligence replace.

U.Ok. Intelligence got here to that conclusion based mostly on open supply imagery displaying the wreckage of a Russian missile which was designed within the Eighties as a nuclear weapon and is now most likely used with no explosive head, the ministry stated.

“No matter Russia’s intent, this improvisation highlights the extent of depletion in Russia’s inventory of long-range missiles,” the ministry stated, noting that utilizing that kind of missile with no nuclear warhead can “nonetheless produce some harm” however “is unlikely to realize dependable results in opposition to meant targets.”