RS-26 Rubizh ballistic missile: what is known about Putin's "glorified" weapon that could be used for the first time to strike Ukraine

The Russian intercontinental ballistic missile RS-26 "Rubizh" equipped with separate warheads could be used for the first time in the war against Ukraine. According to preliminary information, Russia struck the Dnipro River with this weapon.

OBOZ.UA tells what is known about this missile. The RS-26 "Rubizh" missile is a development of the Russian "Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering", created on the basis of the Topol-M intercontinental missile.

The first tests took place in 2011, and in 2015 its readiness was officially confirmed. Despite this, the project was excluded from the state arms program in 2018, but in July 2023, Moscow announced the possibility of resuming its production.

Missile characteristics

• Launch range: up to 6000 km.
• Weight: 40-50 tons.
• Equipment: four separate warheads of 0.3 Mt each, similar to the RS-24 Yars.
• Additional capabilities: probably a hypersonic Avangard planning unit.

The missile is classified as intermediate-range, despite the fact that its range allows it to be classified as intercontinental. This decision is likely due to Russia's desire to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

The RS-26 is in fact a modernization of the older RSD-10 Pioneer missile, which was once based on Topol technology. The production of such missiles is not difficult for Russia, as the technological base already exists: "The Votkinsk plant" is able to quickly establish mass production.

Although the missile is designed to hit targets up to 6,000 kilometers away, its use against Ukraine is unlikely. "The Rubizh is a strategic weapon that is usually used for other purposes. However, risks cannot be ruled out, given Russia's aggressive rhetoric.

This missile is a powerful carrier with six warheads that can be separated to hit individual targets. The missile has the ability to overcome missile defense systems thanks to deceptive warheads that distract air defense systems.

The peculiarity is that the RS-26 must be destroyed at the stage of carrier flight before it drops its warheads. After the missile is fired, each warhead needs to be destroyed separately, which greatly complicates the work of air defense. If the missile is not destroyed at the launch stage, each of its warheads may pose a separate threat that needs to be neutralized.

As a reminder, on the morning of November 21, the Russian occupation army launched a massive missile attack on the Dnipro River. During the attack, terrorists used an intercontinental ballistic missile. This is the first time the invaders have used this type of weapon since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine.

During a morning missile attack on Ukraine on November 21, Russia launched a massive missile strike on Dnipro, wounding two people. An industrial enterprise and a building of a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities were damaged in the city, and two fires broke out due to the shelling.

The Russian attack, which lasted from 05:00 to 07:00, targeted enterprises and critical infrastructure in Dnipro, the Air Force reported. 101. The defenders of the sky shot down six X-101s, while the remaining Russian missiles did not cause any significant consequences.

The day before, OBOZ.UA's interlocutors assure that they do not expect Russian missile strikes on November 20 that would be more powerful than the recent massive combined attacks. After all, the Russians have technical limitations to launch such strikes and need time to accumulate the appropriate number of missiles.

On the morning of November 20, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv announced that it would not be open that day because of the threat of a massive missile attack by Russian troops on Ukraine.

Following the American diplomats, a similar statement was made by their colleagues at the Spanish Embassy in our country.

The media also began reporting on similar decisions by the diplomatic missions of Greece and Italy in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, only on Sunday, November 17, Russia launched the most massive combined attack in at least the last few months. At night and in the morning, the aggressor state launched about 120 missiles and 90 drones at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense destroyed more than 140 targets.

During the attack, the Russians focused their main efforts on the Ukrainian energy system.

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