Some are almost used up?

Ukraine wants access to Putin's missile arsenal

Created: 01/11/2023 04:45

By: Florian Naumann

Are Russia's Missile Stockpiles Running Out?

Ukraine wants to know concrete figures.

Experts evaluate the data ambiguous.

Washington, DC/Moscow – Heavy Russian rocket attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure have been going on for weeks – the country still has electricity.

But people suffer.

How much longer can Vladimir Putin's military go on like this?

Speculations about running out of missile supplies have been circulating for weeks.

Now Ukraine has published figures.

Whether they correspond to reality is unclear.

But they could be an indication of the situation in the Ukraine war.

Russia's Ukraine war: Zelenskyy Minister wants to know concrete data on Putin's arsenal

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksi Reznikov presented very concrete data on Friday (January 6), as noted by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its current situation report on Saturday.

Looking at the data, the experts come to a rather sobering conclusion.

Russia is still able to threaten Ukrainian facilities and civilians, at least “in the near future”.

Another, moderately reassuring conclusion: Last but not least, the Kremlin's "tactical" missile arsenal still contains "less precise" weapon systems.

The Encyclopædia Britannica defines “tactical weapons” as systems with rather short range and immediate effect – “strategic weapons” as those with massive penetrating power and hit-consequence.

The data published by Ukraine at a glance:

Russia's missile arsenal: Ukraine presents figures

• 92 Iskander 9M723 missiles (11 percent of pre-war inventory)

• 52 Iskander 9M728/9M729 missiles (44 percent)

• 118 Kh-101 and Kh-555/55SM missiles (16 percent)

• 162 Kh-22/32 missiles (44 percent)

• 53 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles (84 percent)

• 59 sea-based Kalibr missiles (9 percent)

• (Source: Ukrainian Ministry of Defense; unverified)

Resnikov was emphatically optimistic.

Russia's "missile power" is indirectly proportional to the strength of sanctions and Ukraine's growing air defense force, he explained in a tweet.

In other words, Ukraine is becoming more defensive – also thanks to Western supplies – while Russia is losing clout.

Iranian kamikaze drones have also been in focus since the fall.

According to Resnikov, Russia recently had only 90 such drones in stock.

"For the foreseeable future, Russia will likely only be able to mount a handful of massive drone strikes in Ukraine before Russia receives another shipment from Iran," the ISW said.

However, there is speculation about up to 1000 new copies from Tehran – to be delivered in packages of 200 to 300.

Ukraine War: ISW Surprised by Putin's Plans - "Russia Didn't Do Anything"

According to the ISW, Sergei Shoigu's defense ministry said that Russia would "never" run out of Kalibr missiles.

Military experts also looked at Ukrainian data on Russian arms production.

They came to an ambiguous conclusion: Russia has not yet “mobilized” its military industry to support the aggressive war in Ukraine with strategic weapons.

Probably also out of concern for increasing economic difficulties.

Conversely, this could also mean that there is still potential for expanding production.

The Kremlin recently threatened to use new hypersonic weapons.

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The ISW acknowledged the original filling level of the Russian missile arsenal with astonishment.

“A country would normally increase the production of missiles and missiles before starting a major war and convert its military industry to war once the war has started.

Russia has done none of this," it said.

The stock level could now “impair” the actions – but probably not stop them.

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