Russia's missile dilemma: Production vs usage mismatch
Russia produces roughly 150 long-range missiles monthly but uses far fewer. Experts from the Ukrainian portal Defense Express analyze the reasons for this situation, pointing to possible logistical and strategic limitations.
According to estimates, Russia produces around 150 long-range missiles a month, but their usage is much lower. In recent days, Russia has conducted three major attacks on Ukraine, using various means, including missiles and Shahed drones. A total of 64 missiles were launched over the course of two days.
Accumulating stockpiles or overstating data
Experts from Defense Express note that the rate of missile usage does not match their production. This may suggest that Russia is either stockpiling these resources or the actual production data is overstated. Over a month, Russia should have accumulated significant reserves, but only 64 missiles were used.
One reason for the limited missile usage might be issues with carriers and the organization of attacks. Russia might fear utilizing naval vessels and may have limited capabilities to repair them. For this reason, they may have limited attacks involving Calibers launched from naval units.
Regarding the conservation of the Kh-101, there is an attempt to protect the Tu-95MS aircraft (carriers of the Kh-101) from destruction. Analysts note that Russians launch as few as three missiles per attack instead of eight, for which these aircraft are equipped.
Additionally, a Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on the Engels air base in March 2025 may have impacted Russia's ability to prepare missiles for use. Russia now keeps its aircraft at distant bases, which limits their availability.
Russia reportedly has about 40-50 Tu-95MS bombers, but not all are flightworthy. Of the 13-18 known Tu-160s, six are currently under repair or modernization. This situation limits Russia's combat capabilities.
