Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, has disclosed significant details about Russia's current missile production capabilities. In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Skibitskyi revealed that Russia is producing approximately 115-130 strategic missiles and a similar number of operational-tactical missiles per month.
Skibitskyi's insights offer a rare glimpse into the production rates of Russian missiles, including types such as the Kh-31 and Kh-59.
He noted that Russia has not been able to substantially increase these production volumes and that the output may vary monthly depending on the utilization of capacity and component availability.
A significant portion of these components, particularly for missiles like the Kh-101, Kinzhal, and Kalibr, are produced abroad, and Russia's capacity has been affected by international sanctions on enterprises supplying these parts.
In his statement, Skibitskyi mentioned, "In December, they did not produce some types of missiles at all – there was a zero indicator – both planned and actual." This highlights the impact of sanctions and component shortages on Russia's missile production.
According to Skibitskyi, Russia is trying to maintain a strategic reserve of about 30% of its missile stockpiles. Notably, since mid-September, Russia has not used missiles such as the Kh-101 or Kalibr, indicating an accumulation of these types.
Further, Skibitskyi stated that during recent attacks, missiles produced in the III and IV quarters were used, suggesting that Russia's reserves are not very large and newly produced missiles are being rapidly deployed against Ukraine.
He also touched upon the production of operational-tactical missiles, with Russia producing about 100-115 units per month. These missiles, including the Kh-31, Kh-35, Kh-29, and Kh-59, are primarily composed of Russian components and are used differently from strategic missiles, targeting air defense systems and radar stations.
This revelation by a top Ukrainian intelligence official sheds light on the operational challenges and strategies of the Russian military in the context of ongoing international sanctions and the conflict with Ukraine.
