Updated

Updated · CNN · Aug 5

Russia Fires 24-Plus Ballistic Missiles at Kyiv as Ukraine Runs Short of Patriot Interceptors

Updated

Updated · CNN · Aug 5

Russia Fires 24-Plus Ballistic Missiles at Kyiv as Ukraine Runs Short of Patriot Interceptors

Q: As reciprocal strikes escalate, what unconfirmed intermediate-range ballistic missiles might Russia deploy next to bypass strained defenses?

The most likely unconfirmed missile Russia could deploy next is the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile. That assessment comes from the related reporting, which says analysts have warned Moscow may further escalate with Oreshnik use as Ukraine’s Patriot-based ballistic defenses are stretched. Ukrainian Air Force warnings and later battlefield reporting in the provided material describe a “high probability” of another Oreshnik launch and say Russia has already used it in several strikes on Ukraine, including against Dnipro, Lviv and Bila Tserkva. Oreshnik matters because it is presented by Russia as a nuclear-capable IRBM designed to evade air defenses at hypersonic speed, reportedly around Mach 10, with multiple reentry vehicles or submunitions. Western and Ukrainian analysts cited in the material say it is likely derived from the RS-26 Rubezh/Yars family. Even when fitted with inert or conventional payloads rather than nuclear warheads, it can complicate interception by saturating or bypassing missile defenses. That does not mean deployment is certain. Much of the technical detail remains opaque, and several claims about performance come from Russian official statements that cannot be independently verified. But based on the materials provided, Oreshnik is the clearest candidate if Russia seeks a next-step ballistic escalation aimed at overwhelming Kyiv’s already strained defenses.

3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 5

More than two dozen ballistic and anti-ship missiles struck the Kyiv region in one night this week, with all getting through Ukrainian defenses, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens.
Ukraine says the deadliest gap is its shortage of Patriot interceptors—among the few systems able to stop ballistic missiles that can arrive so fast sirens sound almost simultaneously with impacts.
Russia has folded those missiles into larger barrages: a June 30 attack on Kyiv and Lviv included 9 ballistic missiles, 61 cruise missiles and nearly 300 strike drones, while officials also report North Korean KN-23 use.
Zelensky urged partners to speed interceptor deliveries or expand sanctions on Russian missile production, as US hesitation over Patriot co-production and depleted US missile-defense stocks threaten to widen Kyiv’s vulnerability.