Russia is giving some of its missiles greater range and larger warheads, Ukraine says

Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as the GUR, has reported that Russia is enhancing the range and firepower of certain missiles. This assessment indicates that Russia is expanding the range of specific ballistic and anti-ship missiles while also fitting them with more powerful warheads. The GUR's report comes amid ongoing Russian missile and drone assaults on Ukraine, as well as a shortage of air defense equipment to counter these threats.

The GUR disclosed that Russia is developing a modified version of its 9M723 Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile, with a projected range of 340 to 440 miles—a substantial improvement of roughly 100 miles over its previous iteration. Previously, the GUR disclosed that Russia had deployed an upgraded Iskander-1000 missile in the summer utilizing a larger engine and launcher to augment its range.

Additionally, the GUR noted that Russia has fitted its 3M55 Oniks anti-ship missiles with larger warheads and extended their range for improved effectiveness against ground targets. Although the GUR did not disclose the exact number, it confirmed that Moscow has manufactured dozens of these missiles in the past seven months.

Russia's defense ministry and US embassy have not yet commented on the GUR's assessment. The report arrives as Russia has escalated its missile and drone attacks throughout recent months, particularly targeting Ukraine's vital energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Civilians are bracing for another difficult period, given the heightened intensity of these strikes.

Ukraine's arsenal of interceptors required to defend against these Russian attacks remains critically low. Kyiv has persistently called upon its allies to supply additional air defense missiles to shield cities from these bombardments. On Monday, Russian strikes against Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region resulted in the death of at least 33 individuals, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Furthermore, the GUR emphasized that Russia maintains significant stockpiles of long-range missiles and is intensifying its production pace, despite enduring international sanctions. Russia's reserves potentially include up to 700 ballistic missiles and thousands of cruise missiles. The defense industry is capable of producing over 200 of these weapons per month, encompassing the Iskander-M and Oniks missiles, RM-48U missiles for the S-400 air defense system, 3M22 Zircon anti-ship and land-attack missile, and 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles.

However, the GUR highlighted technical issues with the X-101 cruise missile frequently employed in attacks on Ukraine. Some batches are being returned to factories for repairs due to firing problems from aircraft. Additionally, the production of the X-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missile is on hold due to accuracy concerns, and the existing production capacity has been redirected to other missile types.