Russia may strike western Ukraine with new ballistic missile by year-end - Intel
Photo: Vadym Skibitskyi, representative of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (Getty Images)
Russia plans to test new ballistic missiles by the end of the year. As part of the tests, Russian forces may target facilities in western regions of Ukraine, states Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.
Mobilization in Russia
Skibitskyi said at a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council that Russia lost 43,000 soldiers in the war in August alone. At the same time, 39,000 new recruits joined the Russian army during that period.
According to him, Russia’s General Staff believes that the aggressor state will not achieve its goals in the war without mobilization. These goals include the complete occupation of Donbas and securing the strategic initiative.
In 2026–2027, Russia plans to mobilize around 600,000 people into the army, half of them by the end of this year.
New ballistic missiles
At the same time, the Defense Intelligence representative said Russia plans to step up missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in an attempt to trigger an economic crisis. To this end, Russia plans to ramp up ballistic missile production and increase their range.
"According to our estimates, by the end of this year, Russia plans to conduct final tests of a new type of ballistic missile with a range of up to 800 kilometers," Skibitskyi said.
He clarified that as part of these tests, Russian forces may target western regions of Ukraine.
Other plans by Russia
Skibitskyi clarified that Russia’s plans include blockading the Black Sea and attempting to draw Belarus into the war against Ukraine. No actual Russian strike groups have been detected on Belarusian territory so far.
"The key factors holding Belarus back are domestic risks, limited military capabilities and potential economic problems,” he stressed.
Despite this, Minsk will continue to provide Russia with access to its territory to exert pressure along the border with NATO countries.
Iskander-1000
The Defense Intelligence recently reported that Russia had begun attacking Kyiv with upgraded Iskander-1000 ballistic missiles.
The range of these missiles is up to 550 km.
