Russia starts bombarding Ukraine with missiles straight off the assembly line - Bloomberg

The media notes that a recently manufactured Russian missile recovered by Ukrainian forces "suggests the invading army is running low on stocks of some advanced weapons, and is having to produce them more quickly to maintain the intensity of its war."

The missile found in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region in June came from a Tornado-S Multiple Launch Rocket System.

Casing markers show the projectile was made just the previous month, on May 19. Batches normally go through several months of tests before they are used and appear on the front line.

The casing also showed an unusually close expiry date of September 12 this year, another possible indication that Russian manufacturers are cutting corners to rush missiles to the front line.

As the device didn’t explode, researchers were able to view its motherboard and other components, which were not of the ready-made specification expected, StateWatch said. Some parts had been soldered manually, while components were manufactured by both Russian and U.S. companies, including Intel Corp-owned Altera Corp. and Analog Devices Inc.

Both companies have said they don’t sell to Russia and comply with all sanctions.

Missiles with foreign components

In the debris of the missiles that Russia uses to strike Ukrainian territory, foreign components are often found.

On August 15, the occupiers attacked Ukraine with Kh-101 missiles produced this year. Similar missiles contain 30 foreign microchips. This suggests that despite sanctions, Russia can still obtain critical components and manufacture missiles.

Earlier, Yurii Ihnat, the Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, said that Russia still had hundreds of missiles of various types in reserve.