Ukraine test-fires new cruise missile

KIEV: Ukraine has successfully test-fired the new cruise missile "Neptun" developed by the state-run Kiev design bureau Luch, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday.

During the tests, the missile hit a target at a distance of 280 km, Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.

Later in the day, the country's state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom said that the missile, fired from a testing range in Ukraine's southern Odessa region, hit the target in the Black Sea.

The missile was developed within the framework of the "Rocket Shield" project, which aims to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, Ukroboronprom said in a statement.

In the near future, the missile is expected to be adopted by the Ukrainian army and put into series production.