The United States may supply Ukraine with Barracuda missiles. Which Russian cities are they able to reach?

Barracuda missiles, which can give the Ukrainian Armed Forces, are capable of reaching Moscow

Washington may supply Kiev with Barracuda missiles. This was stated by The Wall Street Journal newspaper, citing sources, specifying that no decision has been made yet. It is noted that cruise missiles of this family are relatively inexpensive and easier to manufacture, while they have a range of 220 to 930 kilometers, which poses a potential threat to Russia.

What is known about the Barracuda missiles?

The American defense company Anduril introduced the Barracuda cruise missiles in September 2024, describing them as revolutionary due to their simplicity and low cost of production.

It is assumed that the Barracuda system was originally designed for large-scale production and "to meet short-term demand spikes." Manufacturers have reduced the number of unique tools and parts for assembling rockets, which makes it possible to quickly deploy production lines. The sustainability of the supply chain was also included in the project.

The family consists of three missiles: Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250 and Barracuda-500. A modification of the Barracuda-M is available for each of them. They have a pair of retractable wings in the central part of the body and two folding stabilizers at the rear. The rockets are powered by an air-jet engine with an air intake recessed into the body. Missile targets can be located both on land and at sea, and can be both static and mobile.

The Barracuda-100 missile launch platform can be used by helicopters and airplanes, land vehicles and boats. The Barracuda-250 can be launched from land-based or sea-based MLRS and HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, and can also be placed in the interior compartment of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter. The Barracuda-500 can be launched from F-15E, F-18E/F, F-16 fighters and Rapid Dragon, C-17 launch systems., C-130.

The American defense company Anduril.
Source: Ann Wang / Reuters

Barracuda missiles are capable of reaching Moscow

Russia has assessed how deeply the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will be able to strike if the United States hands over Barracuda missiles to Kiev. Based on data on the range of missiles, we have created a map of Russian cities that may be in the affected area.

Thus, Barracuda-250M missiles with a range of up to 370 kilometers will be able to reach Zaporizhia, Belgorod, Bryansk, Smolensk and other cities located near the border with Ukraine. At the same time, the Barracuda-500M, which has a range of up to 930 kilometers, will pose a danger to such Russian cities as Tver, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Veliky Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Saratov, as well as Volgograd and Nalchik. Moreover, Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as the strategic missile carrier base in Engels, will be in the affected area.

The potential consequences of Barracuda missile strikes have been assessed

The warhead of Barracuda missiles varies from 15 to 45 kilograms, depending on the model. According to the Military Chronicle, this is not enough to cause serious damage. Thus, the longest-range version of the 500M missile can disable a warehouse, communications center, or power grid facility, but it will not destroy a large infrastructure. As a result, their use boils down to the fact that "the effect of such strikes directly depends on the number and regularity of use."

It is noted that launching missiles of this type does not require any special conditions other than a flat area measuring 10 by 10 meters. This, according to the authors of the Telegram channel, "makes them doubly dangerous even in the weakest configuration."

Thus, with the deployment of large-scale production, Kiev will receive another tool for hitting targets in Russia in addition to drones. Otherwise, the effect of the application will be local at best, the authors of the Telegram channel are sure. However, despite this, they urged not to deny the danger of these weapons.