Zelensky: Russia plans to increase ballistic missile production

Russia plans to scale up ballistic missile production, and Ukraine intends to counter these plans with long-range strikes and stronger sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex.

This was stated by President Vladimir Zelensky after a report from the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Oleg Ivashchenko. According to the head of state, Ukrainian intelligence has received updated data on the Russian missile program and Moscow's plans to increase the production volumes of ballistic missiles.

Zelensky did not disclose specific indicators of current and planned production. At the same time, he emphasized that to contain the Russian missile program, support from partners is needed and the blocking of supplies to Russia of foreign components, industrial equipment, and machine tools.

The President noted that Russia remains dependent on foreign technologies used in missile production. Therefore, Ukraine expects stronger sanctions and export controls in key world jurisdictions to cut off the Russian defense industry's access to necessary equipment and components.

One of the countermeasures remains Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian defense industry enterprises. Zelensky said that according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, based in particular on information from the Russian side, after a series of strikes on the Kamensky Combine enterprise in Rostov Oblast, Russia lost a significant part of its capacity to produce solid-fuel engines for missiles.

The head of state said that such operations will continue. Thus, the Ukrainian strategy simultaneously involves physically destroying production facilities and limiting Russian enterprises' access to foreign technologies.

The day before, the Main Intelligence Directorate published new data on the production chain of the 9M723 ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M complex. Intelligence identified 140 Russian and foreign components used in such missiles, 35 enterprises involved in production cooperation, and more than one hundred related officials and workers.

In the Office of the President, it was also previously reported that Russian ballistic missiles contain components produced in the United States, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, China, France, and the United Kingdom. According to Ukrainian data, some of these products come to Russia through third countries.

Ukraine has passed information to partners about Russian enterprises involved in the production of ballistic weapons. Kyiv expects that in September–October more than 100 Russian manufacturers and related companies may come under new restrictions. Special attention is given to suppliers of machine tools and other industrial equipment for the Russian defense industry.

Zelensky emphasized that cutting off these channels should be one of the components of international pressure on the Russian missile program. Ukraine, for its part, will continue its own measures to counter the production of weapons with which Russia strikes Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Based on materials: Vladimir Zelensky, Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Office of the President of Ukraine