KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia currently has around 600–630 ballistic missiles and could potentially produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles a year.
Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy said Russia is targeting a production rate of about 100 ballistic missiles per month, but has not yet reached that level. He said Ukraine has a clear understanding of Russia’s expected production volume through the end of winter and considers the potential figure of 1,300 missiles a year particularly concerning.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces are working to reduce Russia’s military-industrial capabilities by striking facilities connected to missile production and carrying out other operations aimed at disrupting ballistic missile output.
He also said Ukraine has become more effective at intercepting Russian cruise missiles, with combat aviation, IRIS-T and Hawk air-defence systems contributing to the improvement. However, he said ballistic missiles remain more difficult to counter.
Ukraine is also conducting operations intended to disrupt preparations for large-scale Russian missile attacks. Zelenskyy said Russia recently planned a strike that was not carried out, adding that this was not a coincidence and that Ukrainian operations are being used to prevent massive missile attacks. He described these as separate and complex operations that are beginning to show initial results.
Zelenskyy further confirmed that Ukrainian forces had struck a Russian Iskander missile launcher near the Ukrainian border. He did not provide the exact date or location because of the sensitivity of the operation. He said the action is part of a separate effort to locate and target nearby Russian launch systems, particularly because Ukraine has limited supplies of anti-ballistic interceptors.
Ukraine is therefore combining improved air defence with operations against Russian missile production facilities and launch systems to reduce the threat posed by Russia’s growing ballistic missile capability.
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