Ukrainian official data shows that Russia has been using the modified training missiles (RM48U, a less accurate weapon originally used for air defense training targets) on a large scale in recent months, pushing its airstrikes to record levels. According to data compiled by military analysts at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, RM48Us accounted for more than half of the 228 ballistic and hypersonic missiles launched by Russia against Ukraine in July and early August.
The previously unreported scale of RM48U deployment explains why Russia was able to expand its airstrikes this summer while avoiding premature depletion of its Iskander and other main attack missile stockpiles.
Sidharth Kaushal, a senior researcher at the London-based defense think tank RUSI, stated that the large-scale launches of RM48Us both deplete Ukraine's remaining interceptor stockpile and strike lower-value targets, while avoiding the depletion of Russia's own precision-guided attack missiles. He said that using the RM48U allows Russia to preserve more advanced missiles, including the Iskander, KN-23, and Zircon missiles, for further strengthening its ballistic missile offensive during the winter. Ukrainian data also shows that as the number of RM48U attacks surged in July, the number of Iskander missiles launched by Russia dropped from more than 100 the previous month to 38.
