Ukraine claims that Russia’s strike pattern indicates it has low levels of ballistic missiles

KYIV (Reuters – Russia has increased its use S-300/S-400 air defense systems for strikes on ground targets. This indicates that Moscow’s ballistic missile stocks are low, a spokesperson from Ukraine’s Air Force stated on Monday.

Yuriy Ihnat the official, cited Ukrainian intelligence that claimed Russia had less than 100 modern Iskander-ballistic munitions. Because of the abundance of munitions, he stated that Russia was instead using its S-300/S-400 systems.

“The enemy is trying their best, because there are many S-300 rockets already manufactured, (Russia is a manufacturer) and they are already using these missiles in this way,” he said to a briefing held in Kyiv via videolink.

Last month, the Ministry of Defence of Britain said that Russia had probably expended a substantial portion of its SS-26 Iskander short-range missiles. The missiles can carry a 500kg warhead for up to 500km (315 miles).

Russia’s Ministry of Defence did not comment on the claims. These claims could not independently be verified.

Both sides could face declining weaponry stocks in a war that has raged almost 11 months now and looks set to continue.

The S-300 system is part of a group of surface-to-air missiles originally developed by Soviet Union. After a decade of development, it was finally put into service in the late 1970s.

They are both used by Russia and Ukraine, although Russia has many more systems.

Moscow created the S-400 system in 2007 to replace the S-300 system. Ihnat stated that Russian forces prefer to use the more abundant S-300s against ground targets. However, S-400s could also be used in this manner.

He claimed that the S-300s are capable of being used against ground targets at 150 km distance and were a threat for Ukraine.

“S-300s represent a threat. We won’t have enough systems to take down every S-300 from the air, so we need to destroy them at their source.” He stated that they must be destroyed at the firing positions.

(Reporting and editing by Max Hunder; edited by Tom Balmforth, Bernadettebaum)