2 September 2026

Russia has significantly intensified its use of ballistic missiles in 2026, at a time when Ukraine faces shortages of interceptors such as U.S.-made Patriot missiles. According to monitoring data, since the beginning of 2026, Russia has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (DIU) estimates that Russia can produce more than 200 cruise and ballistic missiles per month with Iskander-M, Kh-101, and Kalibr missiles among the main production priorities. In particular, the estimated stockpile included approximately 130 Iskander-M missiles.

Its ballistic arsenal is also being reinforced through increasingly close military cooperation with Pyongyang: a renewed use of North Korean KN-23 missiles has been documented starting at the end of July, while in August, Moscow has reportedly begun deploying a North Korean missile unit with six launchers and 120 ballistic missiles. Together, domestic production and North Korean supplies could allow Russia to maintain high rates of ballistic missile use even as existing stockpiles are depleted.

Compared with loitering munitions, where the share of Chinese microelectronics has gradually increased and is now roughly on par with that of U.S.-made components, the Iskander-M presents a markedly different picture. According to the latest data published by DIU, only around a quarter of the 140 identified Russian companies manufactured Iskander-M components. Nearly half were produced by U.S. manufacturers, with components sourced from Switzerland, Belarus, Germany, Taiwan, and China.

The broader trend, however, points toward the growing localization of Russia’s missile component base. Our previous analysis of the Oreshnik missile found its production ecosystem to be overwhelmingly concentrated around Russian and Belarusian manufacturers. The Iskander-M, however, remains notably different: despite continued localization efforts, foreign manufacturers still dominate its identified component base. This dependence becomes even more pronounced when looking specifically at the missile’s navigation system.