Photo: EPA
In recent months, Russia has significantly increased its use of RM48U missiles, originally designed as training targets for air-defense crews, in attacks against Ukraine, Reuters reports based on Ukrainian government data.
According to military analysts at Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, RM48Us accounted for more than half of the 228 ballistic and hypersonic missiles launched against Ukraine in July and early August.
As the use of RM48Us increased in July, the number of Iskander missiles launched by Russia fell to 38 from more than 100 the previous month.
What is the RM48U?
The “RM” designation stands for “raketa mishen,” or “target missile.” The RM48U is less powerful and less accurate than the Iskander, Russia’s main short-range ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office.
Ukrainian investigators estimate that RM48Us deviate from their intended targets by around 300 meters on average. Their warheads can also scatter metal fragments over a wide area.
The missiles are launched from Russian S-400 air-defense systems. This summer marked the first confirmed period of their large-scale use against Ukraine. Reuters said it could not independently verify the Ukrainian findings.
Russia is saving more expensive missiles
Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the London-based defense think tank RUSI, said the use of RM48Us allows Russia to preserve more capable weapons while forcing Ukraine to use its limited stock of ballistic-missile interceptors.
“Their use allows the Russians to husband the more capable missiles they have, the Iskanders, but also the KN-23s and the Zircons, for winter when they would want to really lean into their ballistic missile campaign,” Kaushal said.
In July, Russia launched 158 ballistic and hypersonic missile strikes, the highest monthly total since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to Ukrainian data. RM48Us accounted for 87 of those strikes.
During the first eight days of August, Russia carried out another 70 ballistic and hypersonic strikes, including 36 RM48U launches.
Growing production of RM48Us
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) says Russia plans to more than double RM48U production this year, from around 200 missiles in 2025 to more than 480 in 2026.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimated that Russia has roughly 100 Iskanders in reserve, compared with around 400 RM48Us.
According to HUR, Russia also has smaller stocks of KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles and Zircon and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
Kaushal estimates that Russia produces around 750 Iskander missiles per year, with solid-fuel rocket motors representing a key production constraint.
Pressure on Ukraine’s air defenses
Reuters reported that the increased use of RM48Us comes at a critical time for Ukraine’s air-defense network. The missiles are cheaper and less accurate than Russia’s primary ballistic weapons, but they can still cause significant damage and force Ukraine to expend scarce interceptors.
The strategy allows Russia to maintain a high volume of ballistic strikes while conserving some of its more sophisticated missiles for future operations.
The shift is part of a broader evolution in Russia’s air campaign, as Moscow increasingly combines large numbers of relatively inexpensive weapons with more advanced missiles in an effort to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
