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Russia plans to test a new ballistic missile with a range of up to 800 kilometers before the end of the year as Moscow continues expanding and modernizing its missile arsenal, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said September 28.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as HUR, claimed in an assessment that Russia also plans to increase production of ballistic missiles.
HUR said the development reflects the removal of restrictions that previously limited Russia’s development of ground-launched missiles. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty prohibited ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The treaty ended in 2019 after the United States withdrew from it following disputes over Russian compliance.
The intelligence agency also said Russia is continuing to modernize the 9M723 ballistic missile used by the Iskander system.
A modernized version has been unofficially dubbed the “Iskander-1000,” although HUR said the name overstates its actual range.
“Despite the name ‘Iskander-1000,’ its flight range is 550 kilometers. If the warhead is made lighter, the range can increase to 700 kilometers,” HUR said.
HUR previously said Russia had used an upgraded 9M723-2 missile in a combined attack on Kyiv this summer. The upgraded missile has a reported range of up to 550 kilometers, compared with roughly 390 kilometers for the earlier 9M723-1 version.
In recent months, Ukrainian intelligence services released several assessments on Russia’s efforts to develop new ballistic missiles and increase the production of such weapons. These claims come as Kyiv is struggling to secure interceptors, mainly for its U.S.-made Patriot systems, with the entire West suffering from a shortage caused by the war on Iran.
All of these assessments reflect not only panic in Ukraine but also a systematic effort to solicit interceptors from the U.S. and other backers.
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