Why Russia’s 9M729 cruise missile remains a controversial weapon?
The 9M729 missile is controversial for allegedly violating the 1987 INF Treaty, which banned ground-launched missiles with ranges of 500–5,500 km. US intelligence accused Russia of secretly developing it in the 2000s. Despite Moscow’s denial, the dispute led to the 2019 US withdrawal from the treaty, ending a key Cold War-era arms control pact.