Russia's Iskander missile shortage: Relying on freshly produced arms
A significant attack using Iskanders was launched against Ukraine on Sunday, February 25, 2024. Ukrainian forces recovered wreckage from one missile that was in relatively good condition, allowing for the identification of its production date.
10:06 AM EST, February 28, 2024
An information plate revealed that the missile fired in late February was manufactured on January 31, 2024. This suggests the Russian Federation has exhausted its stockpile of Iskanders, having to rely on freshly produced ones. The examination of this missile by Ukrainians highlights a possible decline in the Russian military's resources - the absence of older missiles implies dwindling supplies.
NATO's data further underscores Russia's missile woes, indicating the use of weapons produced by North Korea. Reportedly, this includes 3 million 152 mm caliber shells and 400 thousand 122 mm caliber tank shells from Pyongyang.
Russian Iskanders
The Russian Iskanders, known in NATO code as SS-26 Stone, are ground-based, short-range ballistic missiles mounted on wheeled vehicles. Designed to target land-based facilities and airborne units (planes and helicopters), the Iskander-M variant—specifically for the Russian forces—features 9M723 missiles with a range of approximately 310 miles. These weapons are capable of breaching air and missile defense systems. Measuring about 24 feet in length and 3.3 feet in diameter, the missiles weigh just over 4 tons each.
The launch of Iskander-M missiles is enabled by a single-stage rocket engine that propels them to speeds of roughly 4,622 mph. Accurate targeting is ensured through inertial navigation complemented by optical guidance in the final phase, ensuring precision within 98 feet (CEP). The Iskander system can support various warheads, including cluster, fragmentation-blast, thermobaric, penetrating, nuclear, or electromagnetic payloads of up to 1,720 lbs.
