12 October 2026
Since the beginning of September, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have hit 8 launchers belonging to the Iskander and S-400 missile systems, which Russia has used to launch ballistic missile strikes against Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said this during a briefing with journalists attended by a Militarnyi correspondent.
According to the minister, the threat of ballistic missile strikes remains critical because existing and potential supplies of interceptor missiles are insufficient to fully counter it. The Defense Ministry is working with partners to accelerate deliveries of the required missiles.
“The task is not to wait for large long-term contracts, but to find available stocks among our partners as quickly as possible and accelerate their transfer to Ukraine. We need dozens and hundreds of missiles, not isolated deliveries,” he stressed.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara speaks with journalists. Photo: Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense
Alongside efforts to secure additional interceptor missiles, Ukraine is pursuing an asymmetric response by striking Russian launchers.
In September and early October, Ukraine’s Defense Forces hit eight launchers used to carry out ballistic missile strikes. Three were destroyed and five damaged.
“These strikes have already forced the enemy to cancel or change planned ballistic missile attacks,” the minister said.
Earlier, reports confirmed strikes against three S-400 launchers in Russia’s Bryansk Region that were used to launch ballistic missiles.
Photographs confirm the complete destruction of at least one of them. In early October, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) released footage of the strike in its monthly report.
RM-48U Ballistic Missiles for the S-400 System
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is refurbishing decommissioned surface-to-air guided missiles and target missiles associated with the S-400 system and upgrading them for use against ground targets.
The RM-48U uses a solid-fuel rocket motor from the S-400’s 48N6DM surface-to-air missile. Its tail section comes from the export 48N6E2 missile, used with the S-300PMU1/2 and S-400 systems. The RM-48U’s instrument section incorporates components from the 9M96 and 48N6E2 missiles.
3D model of the RM-48U missile. Photo: War&Sanctions
The missile has a single-stage design and follows a ballistic trajectory at speeds of Mach 4–6. Its range is up to 400 kilometers. It carries a 199-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation warhead. Guidance combines an inertial navigation system with a 12-channel, jamming-resistant Kometa satellite navigation antenna.
As of late August, Russia had converted up to 17 S-400 launchers for missile strikes against Ukrainian territory.
That’s hitting the archers instead of their arrows.