Russia is ramping up production of Iskander missiles. Putin's goal: critical infrastructure. Moscow shows no signs of retreating.
Moscow – Russia has targeted critical infrastructure in Ukraine. To meet missile needs, Russia massively increased the production speed of the Iskander-M system. The Iskander-M became particularly popular after the alleged destruction of the Ukrainian Patriot system and a Soviet S-300 air defense system in March. The high-speed production makes additional war tactics available to Russia and raises questions about whether the Russian weapons arsenal is actually coming to an end.
The chief designer of the design bureau of “KB Mashinostroyeniya”, Valery Kashin, explained about the expansion, according to
Military Watch
, that “the missiles will be produced in much larger numbers than in previous years.” According to the latest media reports, Russia was able to at least maintain the multiplied speed from 2023 and is still producing the 9K720 tactical ballistic missiles at a steady rate - despite an incident at one of the main production facilities for the Iskander-M.
Iskander missile production surges after workshop attacks
According to the military news site
Bulgarian Military,
KB Mashinostroyeniya ramped up production speeds after an explosion occurred in the production workshop of Russia's Votkin engineering factory in February 2024, possibly caused by a Ukrainian hit. The Zavyalovsky District Combined Office attributed the explosion
to “planned tests of rocket engines,” according to
the Bulgarian Military
. According to the portal, there was already an explosion in August of the previous year, presumably caused by Ukrainian drones, which was then attributed to exploding equipment in the official report.
Each Iskander-M brigade consists of 51 vehicles with a variety of functions and can fire 48 missiles simultaneously, each with a range of up to 500 kilometers and capable of firing a variety of warheads. An internal computer system that integrates both inertial and optical guidance systems allows this missile to maintain its trajectory with accuracy. Reloading is quick when the brigade is near a camp. According to
Military Watch,
the brigades are
divided into three battalions, each with two batteries with two launchers.
Putin thanks: Missiles for Iskander-M and Kinzhal help “heroes”
“Today, the modern and powerful Iskander-M and Pantsir missile systems created by you help our heroes to adequately fulfill the tasks assigned to them during a special military operation,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said while thanking the inventors of the Iskander-M, according to
Ura News
. One of the assigned tasks in the Ukraine war, made possible by the increased inventory of Iskander-M, were so-called “double strikes,” Kashin said, according to
Bulgarian Military
. This technique involves firing at a position several times in succession at strategic intervals in order to surprise the Ukrainian soldiers.
Production of the airborne counterpart 9M723 for the Kinzhal system also increased fivefold. The two systems, Kinzhal and Iskander, have become popular in recent months for attacking Ukraine's critical infrastructure and military bases. In addition to the increased Iskander-M and Kinzhal production, according to
the Kyiv Post
, the purchase of further short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea, for example, is currently intended to further support Russia's capacities. The KN-23 systems have a similar function and design to the Iskander-M.
Analysis shows: Russia's weapons arsenal will not be empty - focus on critical vulnerabilities in Ukraine
According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, it is unlikely that Russia will eventually run out of military equipment due to Russia's regular attacks and weapons production. “The Russian military has continued to seek to identify loopholes and vulnerabilities to gain an advantage,” it said. For targeted attacks, you would need significantly less equipment. The attacks on energy infrastructure, production facilities and command and control centers are vulnerabilities that the Russian military has recently particularly targeted. For example, a Ukrainian drone factory was recently destroyed by the Russian military.
According to the analysis, it is particularly the ballistic missiles of the Iskander and Kinzhal systems where the Ukrainian air defense performs comparatively poorly, with 79 percent of missiles intercepted. Between April and June 2023, Iskander and Kinzhal together accounted for only about three percent of Russia's total missile attacks, according to the analysis. It can be assumed that the proportion has increased since production increased.
(lismah)