Russia Plans Ballistic Missile Salvos of Up to 200, Ukrainian Commander Warns

Russia is seeking to nearly triple the number of ballistic missiles it can launch simultaneously against Ukraine, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said.

Maj. Robert “Madyar” Brovdi said Russia’s military can currently fire a simultaneous salvo of 77 ballistic missiles and plans to increase that capability to 200, according to an interview with The Associated Press (AP).

He did not provide a timeline for when Russia could achieve that capacity.

Brovdi described the potential expansion as one of Ukraine’s most vulnerable points because the country is running short of interceptor missiles for US-made Patriot systems, the only air-defense system in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.

The shortage means that dozens of ballistic missiles launched by Russia during massive attacks can penetrate Ukraine’s defenses and reach their targets, according to AP.

“Even if they only manage half of that, it will all be flying at us,” Brovdi added.

He said there was only one way to reduce the number of missiles Russia could launch: strike every facility involved in their production.

His comments underscored the importance of Ukraine’s long-range strikes against missile plants and other military-industrial facilities deep inside Russia.

Brovdi also warned that Russia was expanding its use of jet-powered Shahed-type drones, which are substantially faster than conventional propeller-driven models and more difficult to intercept.

He said the concentration of jet-powered Shaheds had increased 2.5 times in recent weeks.

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces have intensified attacks on Russian military, logistics, and energy infrastructure, including targets in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Brovdi told AP that Ukraine could conduct seven times as many strikes in Crimea if funding promised by Western partners arrived more quickly. He said his forces had received only 14% of the funding required to conduct the campaign at full capacity.

Ukrainian manufacturers have the capacity to produce the necessary drones, but delays in financing have restricted production, he said.

Brovdi described Crimea as a key target because Russia uses the occupied peninsula to support its military operations against Ukraine.

Russia has increasingly used ballistic missiles in large-scale attacks designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

During an overnight assault on Kyiv and the surrounding region on Aug. 5, Russia launched 24 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, four Zircon or Oniks missiles, and 115 attack drones, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

Warehouses, logistics facilities, businesses, residential buildings, and a railway station were among the sites damaged.

Zelensky has repeatedly called on Ukraine’s partners to accelerate deliveries of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles, warning that delays leave Ukrainian cities exposed to Russian ballistic attacks.