Although the Russian military has tried to replenish its stocks of essential technologies through unconventional means, Russian missile production has generally failed to meet the demands of the conflict.
Russia continues to wield significant long-range fire capabilities, frequently raining missiles and suicide drones on Ukraine.
The Kremlin has frequently resorted to missile and drone salvos against Ukrainian urban centers and critical infrastructure to compensate for battlefield and diplomatic setbacks. The latest such attack took place last week.
Russia Is Raining Fire on Ukraine
On the night of April 23-24, the Russian military unleashed yet another missile and suicide drone attack against Ukraine. According to the British Ministry of Defence, “[the] large-scale multi-axis, multi-weapon strike package” used strategic bombers, warships and submarines, as well as ground elements, to target urban centers across Ukraine, including both Kyiv, its capital, and Kharkiv, its second-largest city.
The Russian military used hundreds of long-range munitions and suicide drones in the attack.
According to the British assessment, “Russian forces launched at least 200 munitions, including One Way Attack Uncrewed Aerial Systems (OWA UAS), at least 10 Ballistic Missiles (both Russian indigenous and procured from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), their premier KODIAK Air Launched Cruise Missiles, and KALIBR Land Attack Cruise Missiles.”
In addition to ballistic missiles from North Korea, Russia has received similar munitions from Iran, as well as thousands of suicide drones.
“The KODIAK remains the pace-setting missile for Russian large scale strike packages, with the recent 30-day energy ceasefire allowing Russia to replenish its stocks, having been used only twice before this package since the beginning of March,” the British Ministry of Defence explained in its intelligence assessment.
By using so many and so different munitions at the same time, the Russian military sought to saturate the Ukrainian air defenses—and increase the likelihood that some missiles and drones would get through. Kyiv said it intercepted 112 munitions and destroyed others with electronic warfare means, but enough slipped through to lead to widespread devastation on the ground.
Russia’s Missile Stockpiles Are Shrinking
Russia has launched thousands of missiles and suicide drones since the start of the war. But Russian missile stockpiles are not in the best position.
“Rebuilding its stockpile enables [Russia’s Long Range Aviation] to conduct strikes such as these with little to no notice, at a time of Russia’s choosing, as Russia continues normal strike operations,” the British Ministry of Defence concluded in its intelligence report.
The Russian military has had its fair share of issues with missiles. A combination of international sanctions and the inability of the Russian defense and aerospace industry to meet the demands of the conflict meant that the Russian military has often had to pause between strikes to let its arsenal replenish before attacking again. Moreover, the lack of access to essential components such as American semiconductors has forced the Russian military to utilize munitions for missions other than those for which they were intended. For example, the Kremlin has used anti-ship missiles to strike ground targets in Ukraine.
Although the Russian military has tried to replenish its stocks of essential technologies through unconventional means, including raiding commercial appliances and cars for chips to put into missiles, Russian missile production has generally failed to meet the demands of the conflict.
As such, the Russian military can only afford to launch periodic missile attacks against Ukraine. Of course, these attacks are still deadly and costly, but they cannot tilt the course of the war toward Russia on their own.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Naletova Elena.
