Missile 9M729 (SSC-8 Screwdriver)

The 9M729 (NATO reporting name SSC-8) is a ground-launched cruise missile believed to be a land-based variant of the naval Kalibr cruise missile and a variant of the earlier RK-55. The missile class was originally subject to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, under which early Soviet launchers and missiles stored in Latvia were destroyed by November 1990. Allegations of new deployments in 2017 led the United States to declare the system in violation of the agreement, resulting in the official US withdrawal from the INF Treaty in August 2019.

The 9M729 is capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads. The system is integrated into mobile ground launch infrastructure, primarily utilizing four-axle Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs) associated with the 9K720 Iskander system—designated Iskander-K—with four missiles per launcher. Alternative configurations report integration on the MAZ 543 launcher associated with the R-17 Elbrus, carrying six missiles.

Russia is the sole operator of the 9M729, deploying the system in multi-launcher battalions. Identified deployment sites include Kapustin Yar, Yekaterinburg, Mozdok, and Shuya. The missile saw its first recorded combat deployment in 2025, when Russian forces executed multiple operational strikes against targets during the conflict in Ukraine.