Russia likely shifting focus from cruise to ballistic missiles - Defense Express

He shared this view on Espreso TV.

“If we're addressing the usual question: 'How many missiles does Russia have?' it's hard to get an exact count. The rule of thumb is that if the enemy isn't firing more than 100-150 missiles per month, then anything not launched remains in their stockpile. We should ask the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, as they occasionally report on Russia’s missile production, though they haven't provided an update in quite some time.”

Oleh Katkov noted that Russia has increased its use of ballistic missiles while decreasing the use of cruise missiles.

“There is an assumption that Russia has reoriented its production facilities from cruise missiles to ballistic missiles. Indeed, the use of Iskander ballistic missiles has increased compared to previous periods, while the use of cruise missiles has slightly decreased, given that they are more effectively intercepted. In fact, the interception rate for cruise missiles can be as high as 90%. However, intercepting ballistic missiles remains a significant challenge and requires specialized missile defense systems,” he said.

The military expert also mentioned that the exact number of missiles Russia currently possesses is unknown but noted that the enemy retains the capability to launch combined strikes.

“We should also consider ballistic missiles from North Korea. And there's the threat of transfers—for instance, we’re now discussing the possibility of Iran transferring ballistic missiles with a range of 120 kilometers. These would be sufficient to target frontline and border cities along with their infrastructure, while striking the western regions would require a range of over 500 kilometers. The exact number of such weapons in Russia remains unclear. However, it’s certain that the enemy can carry out combined attacks with over a hundred missiles, as they have already done in recent periods,” added Oleh Katkov.

• On September 3, the Russian occupation army attacked an educational institution in Poltava with two ballistic missiles.