Russia turns training missiles into weapons for growing Ukraine offensive

Russia has increasingly turned missiles originally designed for air-defence training into weapons for ground attacks on Ukraine, helping it expand its ballistic missile campaign while conserving more sophisticated weapons, according to Ukrainian data and defence analysts cited by Reuters.

The repurposed weapon, known as the RM48U, was originally developed as a target missile for training air-defence crews. Ukrainian investigators say Russia has modified and deployed the missiles against ground targets, where they travel along ballistic trajectories but are less accurate than purpose-built weapons such as the Iskander.

Ukrainian figures reviewed by Reuters show that Russia launched 228 ballistic and hypersonic missiles in July and the first part of August, with RM48Us accounting for more than half of them. In July alone, 87 of 158 recorded ballistic and hypersonic strikes involved the repurposed missiles.

The increased use of RM48Us has allowed Russia to maintain a high volume of attacks without drawing as heavily on its stocks of more capable ballistic missiles. Ukrainian intelligence estimates that Russia had produced more than 200 RM48Us in 2025 and plans to manufacture more than 480 this year, with production reaching as many as 50 missiles a month.

Ukrainian authorities have linked the RM48U to several strikes that caused civilian casualties.

On August 5, a missile struck a railway platform in the Kyiv region’s Brovary district, killing eight people, according to local officials and Ukrainian investigators. Forensic investigators said analysis of the crater, missile fragments and damage indicated that an RM48U was used.

Ukrainian military experts told Reuters that the missile can deviate from its intended target by roughly 300 metres, making it considerably less precise than the Iskander. Reuters said it could not independently verify the Ukrainian findings.

Russia’s Defence Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ questions about its use of RM48Us. Moscow has maintained that its forces target military infrastructure rather than civilians. In its account of the August 5 attack, Russia said it had struck a logistics centre in Brovary used to store drone components.

The missiles also appear to be serving another purpose: forcing Ukraine to use scarce air-defence interceptors.

According to Reuters, Ukraine has faced shortages of US-made Patriot interceptors, which are among the systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Defence analyst Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute said Russia could use the cheaper RM48Us against less valuable targets while preserving weapons such as Iskanders, KN-23s and Zircon missiles for more intensive attacks.

The development comes as both countries have intensified long-range attacks. Russia has continued missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Ukraine has used long-range drones to attack targets inside Russia, including refineries, ports and other facilities.

The United Nations said at least 437 civilians were killed in Ukraine in July, the highest monthly civilian death toll recorded in the country since the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with missile and drone attacks contributing significantly to the casualties.

The growing use of RM48Us could become particularly significant as Russia prepares for another winter campaign, when Ukrainian authorities expect attacks on critical infrastructure, including heating and electricity facilities.