Russia mass-launches repurposed training missiles from S-400 systems against Ukraine
Russia has sharply increased its use of RM-48U missiles — originally built for air-defense crew training — against Ukraine, launching them from S-400 systems. The repurposed missiles accounted for more than half of all Russian ballistic and hypersonic strikes in July, according to the General Prosecutor's Office, while the use of precision Iskander missiles dropped sharply. Analysts say the strategy aims to exhaust Ukraine's air-defense interceptors and conserve Iskander, KN-23 and Zircon missiles for a winter campaign.
Key points
- RM-48U missiles, previously used for air-defense crew training, were used more than ever before in July, accounting for 87 of 158 ballistic and hypersonic missiles launched that month.
- Over half of the 228 ballistic and hypersonic missiles fired at Ukraine in July and early August were RM-48Us, according to the General Prosecutor's Office.
- July saw the highest monthly ballistic and hypersonic missile output since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
- Iskander launches fell to 38 in July from more than 100 the previous month, while Russia fields dedicated tactical units with radio-command guidance for RM-48U strikes.
- Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) says Russia plans to more than double RM-48U production this year, from over 200 last year to over 480.
- ISW estimates Russia has around 100 Iskander missiles and around 400 RM-48Us in reserve; RUSI estimates Iskander production at roughly 750 units per year, constrained by solid-fuel engine supply.
- An August 5 strike on the Kvitneva suburban rail platform in Kyiv region's Brovary district that killed eight people was carried out by an RM-48U, not an Iskander-M.
Why it matters
Russia has industrialized use of a previously training-only missile, more than doubling planned RM-48U production in a single year. The mass-launch tactic is designed to drain Ukrainian air-defense interceptors while preserving scarce precision missiles — Iskanders, KN-23s and Zircons — for a winter campaign. July alone saw the highest monthly ballistic and hypersonic missile output since the 2022 invasion, with Iskander reserves estimated at only around 100 missiles versus roughly 400 RM-48Us.
What happened
Russia has sharply increased its use of RM-48U missiles against Ukraine, launching them from S-400 air-defense systems. According to the General Prosecutor's Office's military analysts, RM-48Us made up more than half of the 228 ballistic and hypersonic missiles fired in July and early August. In July alone, 87 of the 158 ballistic and hypersonic missiles launched were RM-48Us — the highest monthly figure since the start of the full-scale invasion. Iskander launches dropped to 38 in July from more than 100 the previous month. Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) says Russia is planning to more than double RM-48U production this year, from over 200 last year to over 480. The August 5 strike on the Kvitneva suburban rail platform in the Brovary district of Kyiv region, which killed eight people, was carried out by an RM-48U rather than an Iskander-M.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian sources — ZN.UA and Novynarnia — rely primarily on the General Prosecutor's Office and Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) for data on missile composition, monthly launch counts and reserves. They highlight the August 5 strike on the Kvitneva rail platform in Brovary district that killed eight people as evidence of the civilian cost of the repurposed missile. HUR has dubbed the RM-48U a Russian ballistic "Frankenstein," noting that its solid-fuel engine is taken from the 48N6DM missile of the S-400 system and its tail section from the 48N6E2 export version for the S-300PMU1/2 and S-400, framing the weapon as a sign of strain on Russia's conventional missile production.
How international sources describe it
The story is sourced through Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow at the London-based think tank RUSI, rather than original Western on-the-ground reporting. The international framing centers on the strategic interpretation that mass RM-48U use is aimed at exhausting Ukrainian interceptors and conserving precision missiles for a winter campaign — an analysis introduced by the RUSI expert rather than by Ukrainian officials. ISW estimates Russia's reserves at around 100 Iskanders and 400 RM-48Us, while RUSI assesses Iskander production at roughly 750 units per year.
Where reporting differs
Stockpile and production figures cited by the sources differ. One set of figures attributes around 100 Iskander and 400 RM-48U reserves to ISW, while RUSI separately estimates Iskander production at roughly 750 units a year, limited by solid-fuel engine supply. The estimates were cited by ZN.UA alongside the ISW and RUSI assessments.
Background
The "RM" designation in RM-48U stands for "raketa-mishen" (target missile). The weapon is built from a 48N6DM solid-fuel engine and tail section originally designed for the S-400 and S-300PMU1/2 air-defense missiles. It is a single-stage, solid-fueled missile flying a ballistic trajectory at 4–6 Mach with a stated range of up to 400 km and a 199 kg fragmentation warhead. Its inertial plus Kometa-R12 satellite guidance gives an average deviation of roughly 300 meters from intended targets — less precise than Iskander but still dangerous because of wide-area shrapnel effects. Russia fields dedicated tactical missile units with radio-command guidance specifically for RM-48U strikes.