We are starting to get to know Russia’s arsenal better after more than 14 days of war in Ukraine. Among the numerous munitions in service with the Russian army, Iskander missiles are a very specific weapon.
The war in Ukraine allowed the Russian army to mobilize its troops and show the world its artillery. For several days, the Russian army has increased pressure on Ukrainian forces and is trying to destroy strategic facilities, military or civilian. For this, Iskander missiles could be used.
500 kilometers
The Kremlin has already reported on this formidable weapon in a video posted on social media in January. In these images, recovered by defense site Opex360, we can see the unit in the process of deploying these missiles. According to our colleagues, these will be missiles of the 9M728 Iskander-K type.
The Iskanders are fired from trucks and can hit targets up to 500 kilometers away. These missiles can also be armed with nuclear warheads, cluster munitions, or a thermobaric device, according to Defense Blog. Remotely controlled missiles “Iskander-K” have a trajectory closer to the ground. The firing range is reduced, but it becomes more difficult for the armed forces of the enemy to detect and intercept the shots, reports Capital.
Use in Ukraine?
According to a number of international observers, Russia could already use these weapons in Ukraine. At the beginning of the conflict, several rockets were fired from Belarus towards Ukraine, Liberation reports. It is reported that the Zhytomyr airport near Kiev was attacked from this plane.
According to Rocket Threat, Iskander-K was first used by Russia during the conflict with Georgia in 2008. The system has also been deployed in Syria. These weapons have been in Kaliningrad, a Russian city close to the border with Poland, for several years. The goal is to achieve NATO’s strategic goals.