Ukraine Says Russia Upgrades Missiles with Greater Range and Larger Warheads

Ukraine's military intelligence agency reported that Russia is improving the range of certain ballistic and anti-ship missiles, with some equipped with larger warheads.

The agency noted that Russia is developing a modernized version of the 9M723 'Iskander-M' missile, which is expected to have a range of 340 to 440 miles, about 100 miles more than its predecessor.

In August, the GUR stated that Russia had deployed an upgraded 'Iskander-1000' missile, which features a larger engine and launcher to extend its range.

Additionally, Russia has equipped its 3M55 'Oniks' anti-ship missiles with larger warheads and increased their range to improve effectiveness against ground targets, according to the GUR.

The agency did not provide specific details about the modifications but confirmed that Moscow has manufactured dozens of these upgraded missiles over the past seven months.

Russia's defense ministry and its US embassy did not respond to a request for comment on the GUR's assessment.

The GUR also stated that Russia maintains significant stockpiles of long-range missiles and continues to increase production, despite international sanctions.

The inventory includes various missile types, such as the Iskander-M, Oniks, RM-48U, 3M22 'Zircon,' and 3M14 'Kalibr' cruise missiles.

The GUR reported technical issues with the X-101 cruise missile, specifically problems with firing from aircraft, leading to some batches being sent back for repairs.