Russian missile and drone strikes in October: numbers, impact, enemy's plans

Defense Express writes about it. 

In October, the Russian Federation launched a total of 6 cruise missiles and 15 ballistic missiles against Ukraine, along with over 282 Shahed drones. This marked a significant decrease in long-range missile strikes compared to previous months.

Of the 6 cruise missiles, 4 were of the Iskander-K type, while the other 2 were unidentified but likely of the same make. Ukrainian defenses managed to intercept and destroy 4 out of these 6 missiles.

The article notes the absence of air-based cruise missiles Kh-101, Kh-555, and sea-based Kalibrs in October. This suggests Russia might be conserving these missiles for future use, although it's not a substantial stockpile given their active use in previous months.

The Russian Federation also used 9M723 OTRK Iskander-M ballistic missiles with 6 launches and 9 anti-aircraft missile launches from the S-300/400 air defense system. None of these missiles were intercepted.

Russia also employed 282 Shahed-136 drones, with over 228 of them successfully intercepted. This reflects an interception efficiency of about 80.8%, indicating a decrease in Russia’s ability to maintain a high monthly pace compared to September. While 282 drones are a substantial number, it falls short of the 395 drones used in April, where 356 were intercepted – 90%. 

In addition, there were increased reports of guided Kh-59 missile launches by the enemy's tactical aviation. Of the 16 known launches, 12 were successfully intercepted, accounting for a 75% success rate.

The Russian Federation also used Oniks anti-ship missiles to target port infrastructure in the Odesa region.

Notably, there were no launches of Kh-22 and Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles in October, with the last use in August. 

This suggests that if the enemy is stockpiling missiles for future strikes, it primarily applies to cruise missiles and possibly Kh-22 and Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles, which have seen more sporadic use.