Ukraine struck 8 Russian ballistic missile launchers in September–early October, defense minister says
Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara told journalists on 11 October that Ukraine's Defense Forces struck eight Russian ballistic missile launch installations during September and the beginning of October — three destroyed and five damaged — and that these strikes had already forced Russia to cancel or alter planned ballistic attacks. Khmara said existing and potential supplies of anti-ballistic defense missiles are insufficient and that Ukraine is working with partners to accelerate deliveries of dozens to hundreds of missiles rather than wait for long-term contracts. He also said Ukraine will continue developing its deep- and middle-strike capabilities as an asymmetric response to Russian strikes.
Key points
- Ukraine struck 8 Russian ballistic missile launch installations in September and early October, Khmara said
- 3 of the launchers were destroyed and 5 were damaged
- Khmara said these strikes forced Russia to cancel or change planned ballistic attacks
- Current and potential anti-ballistic missile supplies are insufficient to fully counter the threat, Khmara said
- Ukraine needs dozens and hundreds of missiles, not one-off deliveries, and is seeking existing partner stockpiles instead of waiting for long-term contracts
- Khmara said 51% of Russia's oil refining capacity has been disabled since the start of deep strike operations
- Ukraine will keep developing deep strike capabilities as an asymmetric response and a form of defense
Why it matters
Khmara's briefing is the most detailed public Ukrainian readout of strikes on Russian ballistic missile launchers — systems Russia uses to attack Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv — and of the limits of Ukraine's current air- and missile-defense supply. By linking deep strike to degrading Russia's ability to continue the war and citing the disabling of 51% of Russian oil refining capacity, the defense ministry is putting a strategic frame around tactical reporting. The minister's specific request for dozens to hundreds of anti-ballistic missiles sourced from existing partner stockpiles also signals how Ukraine wants its allies to bridge the gap now, rather than over the timeline of long-term contracts.
What happened
Speaking to journalists on 11 October, Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara said that during September and the beginning of October Ukraine's Defense Forces hit eight Russian ballistic missile launch installations: three were destroyed and five damaged. He said these strikes had already forced Russia to cancel or change planned ballistic attacks.
Khmara said the threat of ballistic strikes remains critical and that current and potential deliveries of anti-ballistic defense missiles are insufficient to fully counter it. The Ministry of Defense, he said, is working with partners to accelerate deliveries, with the goal of quickly finding existing stockpiles and transferring them to Ukraine rather than waiting for large long-term contracts. Ukraine needs "dozens and hundreds of missiles, not single deliveries," he said.
In parallel, Khmara framed strikes on Russian launch installations as an asymmetric response to Russian strikes and a form of defense. He said Ukraine will continue to develop deep-strike capabilities, with the objective of degrading Russia's ability to continue the war rather than just hitting distant targets, and noted that since the start of deep-strike operations 51% of Russia's oil refining capacity has been taken out of service. Khmara also said Ukraine is scaling up middle-strike assets and scaling them to corps level so units can systematically engage operational-depth targets such as enemy UAV crews, command points, logistics, air defense assets, radars and electronic warfare systems.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All available reporting on this story is Ukrainian and centers on remarks by Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara at an 11 October briefing. Ukrainian outlets frame the strikes on Russian launch installations as an active countermeasure that is already forcing Russia to alter its ballistic attack plans, and they pair the campaign against launchers with the broader deep-strike effort, including the 51% reduction in Russian oil refining capacity. Coverage also stresses the shortfall in anti-ballistic missile supplies and presents Ukraine's push for accelerated deliveries of dozens to hundreds of missiles as a direct response to that shortfall.
How international sources describe it
The synthesis does not include separate international framing.
Where reporting differs
The synthesis does not record any disagreements between sources.
Background
On 3 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian Defense Forces had struck Iskander missile crew positions in Russia's Bryansk Oblast. In September, Ukrainian forces struck two S-400 air defense missile system launchers near Vygonichi in Bryansk Oblast that had been used to fire ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Days before that, Zelensky said Ukraine would intensify strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to a new Russian tactic of mass attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.