What can we see from the Russian anti-ship missile attack on ground targets in Ukraine?

Photo of the missile wreckage in Ukraine believed to be the SSC-1B Sepal (above), compared with a photo of a P-35 missile (Photo: Defense.ua).

Photos of missile debris began appearing on social media on January 18. According to unconfirmed information, the missile in the photo was shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces.

Social media groups have not yet agreed on the variant of the missile in the photo, which could be the P-35, P-35B, or 3M44, as Russia calls it. According to War Zone , all three models are related, have a similar appearance, and are collectively known in the West as the SSC-1B Sepal.

The P-35B anti-ship missile began to be used for coastal defense in the early 1960s, with an effective range of more than 430km. Equipped with a jet engine with 2 solid-fuel rockets during launch, the P-35B weighs about 4.6 tons and is about 10m long.

In the early 1980s, the P-35B coastal defense missile was replaced by the 3M44, with a reported effective range of over 460km. This variant can carry a nuclear warhead in addition to the 900kg conventional warhead option.

Until late 2020, these missiles were still used to protect the strategic port of Sevastopol in the Crimean peninsula, which Russia declared annexed in 2014.

It is not clear where in Ukraine the recent photo of the missile wreckage was taken and when.

According to War Zone , the SSC-1B Sepal has not been previously encountered in the Ukraine conflict. Regardless of the variant, the missile is believed to have been aimed at land targets rather than ships, as Ukraine currently has no large naval vessels.

Regardless of the missile's origin and variant, War Zone believes the photo of the debris is evidence that Russia is using non-standard missiles to attack ground targets.

The reasons for this may be due to a shortage of land-attack cruise missiles and specialized ballistic missiles, along with difficulties in producing new missiles under the pressure of Western sanctions.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/thay-gi-tu-viec-ten-lua-chong-ham-nga-tap-kich-muc-tieu-mat-dat-o-ukraine-20240120231916798.htm