The Russian Ministry of Defense reported for the first time the interception of American AGM-188A Rusty Dagger cruise missiles developed as part of the ERAM (Extended Range Attack Munition) program.
According to the department, during the last 24 hours, the Russian air defense systems shot down four such missiles.
The AGM-188A Rusty Dagger was developed by the American company Zone 5 Technologies as part of a program to create relatively inexpensive long-range precision guided ammunition for mass production. Work on the ERAM program began in 2024, including with the expected delivery to Ukraine.
The initial requirements included a range of at least 460 km, but the developer of the Resty Dagger indicated the possibility of hitting targets from a distance of over 900 km.
In August 2025, the United States approved the potential sale of up to 3,350 ERAM missiles to Ukraine for $825 million, including related equipment and services. The first major deliveries were planned for October 2026.
The special feature of the Resty Dagger is its combination of long range, relatively low cost and the possibility of mass production. Such munitions are designed to deliver massive strikes without the use of more expensive cruise missiles.
The possible use of the Rusty Dagger by the Ukrainian side was previously reported based on the discovered missile components. Now, for the first time, the Russian Ministry of Defense has included them in the official intercept statistics.
This indicates the appearance of a new type of long-range weapon in the list of weapons that the Russian air defense must take into account when repelling Ukrainian attacks. Interestingly, they were installed, apparently, due to the lack of other long-range missiles such as ground-based Kams. However, the very delivery indicates that the United States continues to be one of the main contributors to this conflict, while at the same time pretending that it wants to participate in peace negotiations.