Ukrainian intelligence says Russia produces “dozens” of Kalibr missiles every month

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency says Russia is increasing production of Kalibr cruise missiles to "dozens" per month.

“Dozens of Kalibrs are produced. As for other weapons – for example, Kinzhal or Iskander – the number is much lower, just a few,” Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence Agency of Ukraine (DIU), was quoted by the state news agency Ukrinform as saying in late July.

As for the Iskander missiles, Russia has established production and is trying to speed up the production of these missiles with destructive power, Mr. Yusov added.

“But… in reality, everything that is being produced now is being launched by Russia immediately in Ukraine, only after certain pauses, necessary to accumulate and prepare for further attacks,” the Ukrainian intelligence official said.

According to this person, although Russia is positioning itself as a country that wants to lead the arms market and arms deals, their business prospects in this field will not be very optimistic, especially after the recent drone attacks (known as drones or UAVs) on the capital Moscow - which may raise doubts about the defense capabilities of their own systems.

World - Ukrainian intelligence says Russia produces — A Kalibr cruise missile is launched from a Russian Navy destroyer during military exercises in 2019. Photo RFE/RL

In another development, Euromaidan newspaper on August 2 quoted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov as saying that the country is also stepping up domestic UAV production, with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry handing over the 10th FPV kamikaze (suicide killer) drone model for use by the Ukrainian armed forces.

The latest UAV model has “convincing technical specifications” and a new production scale, Mr. Reznikov said, adding that over the past 15 months, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has put into service more than 30 UAV models of various types, from reconnaissance and attack UAVs to loitering munitions.

According to Mr. Reznikov, Kiev is currently using foreign parts to assemble UAVs, but plans to soon produce these parts in Ukraine.

In July, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the Ukrainian government had allocated nearly $1.1 billion this year to UAV production. The government in Kiev has lifted customs barriers to importing UAV parts into Ukraine, increased the profit margin for domestic manufacturers to 25 percent, and made a decision that was said to “promote mass production of UAV ammunition.”

According to Mr. Shmyhal, more than 40 Ukrainian companies involved in the production of UAVs have now signed contracts with the government and “UAV production has increased tenfold.”

Famous Russian missile families:

Kalibr missiles are a family of Russian cruise missiles known for their versatility and long-range capabilities. They are designed to be launched from a variety of platforms, including submarines, surface ships, and aircraft.

The missile system has attracted international attention during its successful deployment in the Syrian conflict when Russian warships launched Kalibr cruise missiles at targets in the Middle Eastern country.

With a range of about 1,500-2,500 km, the Kalibr missile is known for its accuracy and ability to carry different types of warheads, making it a mainstay of the Russian Navy's land attack capabilities.

The Kinzhal missile , also known as the Kh-47M2, is a Russian-developed air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile with a range of 1,500–2,000 km.

Kinzhal is designed to be fired from MiG-31K fighter jets and can travel at hypersonic speeds of Mach 10 (12,250km/h) while carrying a 480kg warhead, making it extremely difficult to intercept by existing air defense systems.

The Kinzhal missile's high speed and maneuverability allow it to strike targets at long ranges with high precision. The deployment of this hypersonic missile adds a new dimension to Russia's strategic deterrence and rapid reaction capabilities.

The Iskander missile is a family of short-range, solid-fuel ballistic missiles developed and deployed by Russia. These missiles are highly mobile and can be launched from a variety of platforms, including transporter erector launchers (TELs).

Iskanders are known for their ability to carry various types of warheads, including conventional and nuclear. They have a range of up to 500 km and the ability to strike targets with high precision.

Russia's deployment of Iskander missiles has raised concerns among its neighbors due to their ability to target specific locations with high precision, making them a key part of Russia's regional deterrence strategy .

Minh Duc (According to Al Arabiya, TASS, Euromaidan)

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