By converting old surface-to-air missiles, Russia has created a new threat to Ukraine, further straining Ukrainian air defenses and demonstrating how the war continues with new tactics.
During the night of August 4-5, 2026, Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, which the Ukrainian Air Force grouped under the joint designation Iskander-M/S-400. The primary target was the Kyiv region, and Ukrainian air defenses, which had limited interceptors for Patriot systems, failed to shoot down any of the missiles, according to a report by Tportal Vijesti.
The S-400 system is unique in that it was originally developed for air defense, namely intercepting aircraft and missiles, not for attacking ground targets. However, Russia has adapted it for this purpose, increased production, and extended its strike range all the way to Kyiv, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
As early as 2022, Russia used older S-300 missiles to attack cities near the front line. Later, the use of newer 48N6 missiles, compatible with later versions of the S-300 and S-400 systems, was confirmed. In 2026, the RM-48U was added to the arsenal, created by converting old surface-to-air missiles that had been decommissioned. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia produced more than 200 such missiles in 2025 and plans to produce more than 480 this year.
Thus, the occasional repurposing of surface-to-air missiles has become a separate production program, allowing Russia to increase the number of missiles in combined attacks. These missiles are less accurate and less destructive than the Iskander, but they allow for the simultaneous launch of a larger number of very fast missiles.
The older 5V55R missile weighs about 1.66 tons and carries a warhead of approximately 130 kilograms, while the newer 48N6 weighs about 1.8 tons and, depending on the variant, has a warhead of 143 to 180 kilograms. Both types are designed to destroy targets in the air. They lack the capability of specialized missiles to penetrate concrete or underground structures, but in urban environments, their high speed and thousands of fragments can devastate a wide area.
The exact guidance algorithms for ground attacks are unknown. Available data suggest that the missiles initially use inertial and radio guidance, but after leaving the radar horizon, they continue their flight using only inertial navigation. This allowed the 48N6DM missile to travel more than 200 kilometers to Kyiv, but it also explains why it loses accuracy over long distances.
Their major advantage is speed. According to Ukrainian estimates, the 48N6DM can reach speeds of about 2.5 kilometers per second and cover 200 kilometers in just a few minutes, leaving air defenses very little time to react.
On January 14, 2023, the Ukrainian command announced that Kyiv had been hit by S-400 missiles launched from the north. Based on photographs of fragments, the 48N6DM model was indicated, and the Bryansk region in Russia was mentioned as a potential launch origin. Since official findings from expert examination have not yet been published, this is considered a reliable Ukrainian assessment, but not final confirmation.
During the summer of 2026, S-400 missiles are again frequently mentioned in reports from Ukraine, alongside Iskanders. In four major attacks between July 2 and August 5, 98 missiles from the joint Iskander-M/S-400 category were recorded, and only five were intercepted. The attacks primarily targeted Kyiv and its surroundings, but from publicly available information, it is not possible to determine how many of them were S-400s. After the attack on July 14, a warhead and parts of an S-400 missile were found in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, providing additional evidence of their use.
Remnants of the RM-48U were first publicly displayed in Ukraine after the attack on January 20, 2026. These are refurbished missiles based on older 5V55 or 48N6 missiles that have been decommissioned and can be launched from S-300 and S-400 systems.
Initially, it was unclear whether they contained a standard warhead or were used as decoys. In January, Ukrainian military intelligence labeled them as training missiles, and by June, they were treating them as missiles for attacks on ground targets. This indicates the existence of different versions or modes of application.
The RM-48U cannot match the Iskander in terms of accuracy, destructive power, or the ability to target fortifications. However, its advantage lies in increasing the volume of fast missiles in an offensive, which further pressures Ukrainian early warning systems and air defenses. Even when used as a decoy, defense cannot ignore it because it may be too late to determine whether it carries a warhead.
The mass production of the RM-48U shows that the threat will not cease even when old Soviet stocks of 5V55 missiles are exhausted. Russia is gradually transitioning from consuming existing stockpiles to developing a separate capability to produce and use such weapons.
