As Russia Plans to Strike Kyiv, Here’s What’s in Its Missile Arsenal

Harrison Kass

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The Russians have an impressive missile array—effective for both strategic and tactical attacks, in either conventional or nuclear configurations.

Russia’s recent attack against Kyiv—intended as retaliation for Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb,” a dramatic drone attack on poorly protected airfields deep inside Russia’s interior—was executed with a variety of drones and missiles. That Russia should employ a variety of missiles in the attack is no surprise: the Kremlin possesses one of the world’s most extensive and diverse missile arsenals. In evaluating how to strike Kyiv, Russia has a full spectrum of options, with everything from short-range tactical missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

Surveying the Russian Missile Arsenal

When people consider the Russian missile threat, they likely recall the Cold War and the prospect of long-range ICBMs, launched from Russia, striking targets within America. Indeed, the ICBM comprises the backbone of Russia’s strategic nuclear force, with a range of many thousands of kilometers.

Russia has multiple ICBM options, including the RS-24 Yard, a mobile or silo-based MIRV capable ICBM with an 11,000-km range; the RS-28 Sarmat, a heavy ICBM designed to evade missile defense, with an 18,000-km range; and the Topol-M, a single warhead, road-mobile or silo-based ICBM with an 11,000-km range. More impressive still is the Avangard “Hypersonic Glide Vehicle” (HGV), which can be mounted on existing ICBMs to achieve greater speeds.

Russia also has two Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)—another fixture of American Cold War paranoia, as depicted in The Hunt for Red October. The two Russian SLBMs are the R-29RMU/RMU2, used on the Delta IV-class submarine and the RSM-56 Bulava, deployed on the Borei-class submarine. The two SLBMs have ranges in excess of 8,000 km (and up to 12,000 km in the case of the R-29RMU).