Wreckage of Dutch-Built Ruta Cruise Missile Reportedly Found in Russia

Published Jul 24, 07:44 AM UTC

Photos circulating from Russian sources show wreckage presumed to be from a Destinus Ruta Block 1 cruise missile, potentially the first physical proof of combat use of a Dutch-built missile against Russia. The missile, built by European defense company Destinus, has a range of up to 300 km and a 150 kg payload, powered by the T150 turbojet engine. Destinus announced in June 2026 it had produced its 1,000th T150 engine, indicating industrial-scale production. The Netherlands has committed to delivering 700 Ruta missiles to Ukraine. The wreckage, if confirmed, would mark the first visual confirmation of the missile's combat use, though the missile has been previously described as combat-proven in Ukrainian media. Destinus has since unveiled longer-range Block 2 (700 km) and Block 3 (2,000 km) variants, with production capacity exceeding 2,000 systems annually through a joint venture with Rheinmetall.