Russia has accumulated at least 120 X-101/555 missiles, which, together with other missile weapons, are enough for several mass attacks.
Military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko from the Information Resistance group stated in an interview with Ukrinform that during October, there were no recorded launches of the 9M728 Iskander-K missiles, while the Russian army regularly used the 9M723 Iskander-M/KN-23. He noted that the number of launches of these ballistic missiles had decreased compared to September.
Similarly, there was a decline in the use of air-launched X-101/555 and sea-launched Kalibr missiles. However, Kovalenko emphasized that this does not mean these missiles have run out, but rather that Russia is accumulating them.
“Production is ongoing. The enemy is stockpiling missiles. For example, 120 X-101/555 missiles have already been accumulated, and together with other missile weapons, this is enough for several mass strikes. Russia is preparing for a new wave of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. However, right now, Shahed drones are much cheaper, so the Russians are using them to carry out terror attacks, achieving occasional hits, especially with the use of cheap decoy drones. In the end, this is more economically justified for the enemy,” the military expert pointed out.
Kovalenko added that Russia has no reason to use expensive missiles like the $10 million Kinzhal, the $13 million X-101/555, or the $6.5 million Kalibr when, for the same money, they could launch 30 to 70 kamikaze drones.
He also noted that in the southern regions, particularly Odessa and Mykolaiv, the P-800 Oniks missiles, which the Russian forces last used in November 2023, have been accumulating. Russia can produce 10-20 of these missiles per month, and after such a long pause, they have at least 500 units in stock.
The analyst reminded that this year, the P-800 Oniks missiles were modernized, gaining more advanced active radar homing heads, which enhance their accuracy and resistance to electronic warfare systems. However, the major issue is that the only systems capable of intercepting Oniks missiles are the Patriot and SAMP/T air defense systems.
