(Bloomberg) -- Russia’s war on Ukraine has been dictated as much by events in the air as by territorial gains on the front line.
While both sides are leaning increasingly on combat drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles each remain important tools for delivering powerful airstrikes.
Cruise missiles are a bit like pilotless aircraft, flying at a regular altitude and able to maneuver or change course. A ballistic missile is usually a faster, non-guided projectile that’s launched by a rocket engine and makes a high arc before descending steeply to its target.
After Russia brought in North Korean troops to fight alongside its own forces, the US government in November allowed Ukraine’s military to launch long-range American missiles into Russian territory. Russia then fired a powerful experimental ballistic missile that hit a city in Ukraine.
Here’s a breakdown of the missiles used by each side in the ongoing conflict, how they work and what difference they’re making. Technical details were provided by Bloomberg Intelligence defense analysts Wayne Sanders and Will Lee.
Ukraine:
ATACMS
American-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, are supersonic guided surface-to-surface ballistic missiles that have a range of around 300 kilometers (190 miles) and can carry conventional or cluster munitions. The missiles, made by Lockheed Martin Corp., can be launched from the HIMARS platform, which the US supplies to Ukraine, and the MLRS M270 platform, sent by countries including the UK.
Just over a year ago, the US authorized Ukraine to use shorter-range ATACMS on targets inside Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Kyiv said those strikes had a major impact on the battlefield. Russia accused Ukraine of using an ATACMS missile in June to attack the Crimea peninsula, which Russia says it has annexed. The Pentagon said in September that Russia had moved 90% of the aircraft it uses to launch glide-bomb and missile attacks on Ukraine out of range for ATACMS.
In November, the US allowed Ukraine to fire ATACMS at some targets inside Russia. Its first target was a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region.
As of late November, Ukraine had only limited supplies of the missiles, which can cost more than $1 million each.
Storm Shadow
This cruise missile developed by the UK and France, where it’s known as SCALP, has a maximum range of around 250 kilometers. Usually launched from an aircraft, it flies low to avoid detection. Produced by multinational European arms maker MBDA, Storm Shadow is seen as having exceptional accuracy due to its advanced navigation system and is effective in penetrating hardened bunkers and ammunition stores. Each missile costs almost $1 million.
Russian officials said a critical bridge linking Crimea to the occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson region was struck in June 2023 using Storm Shadow, a claim that was not addressed directly by Ukraine. Ukraine may also have used Storm Shadows to strike Russia’s Black Sea naval headquarters in occupied Crimea in September 2023.
Britain began allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow against targets inside Russia in November 2024. In the following days, Storm Shadow debris was found in Russia’s Kursk region to the northeast of Ukraine and Russian forces claimed to have intercepted two missiles over Yeysk, an Azov Sea port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, according to the Telegram channel Rybar, which has connections to the Russian army. The information couldn’t be independently verified.
Neptun
R-360 Neptun is a Ukrainian-made anti-ship cruise missile with a later variant for land attacks. Ukraine claims its range is 300 kilometers and it can be launched from ships, jets and land platforms. Kyiv used Neptun to attack Russian flagship missile cruiser Moskva in April 2022. The ship, named after Russia’s capital, sank, becoming one of the most recognizable symbols of Ukrainian resistance since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Neptun, along with Ukrainian-made sea drones, has also damaged other Russian ships, forcing Moscow to withdraw its Black Sea fleet far enough to allow Ukraine to resume some commodity exports.
Palianytsia
Ukraine’s newest surface-launched weapon was unveiled by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over the summer. The long-range weapon, a cross between a drone and a missile, is designed to strike airfields deep inside Russian territory. Most of its technical details are still a secret.
Air-defense missiles
Ukraine relies heavily on western air-defense systems such as the US Patriot and Hawk, Norway’s NASAMS, Iris-T — developed by a German-led European consortium — and the SAMP/T developed by France-based MBDA. The US Patriots have proven to be highly effective, allowing Ukraine to shoot down Russia’s Kinzhal and Zirkon missiles, which Russia had claimed were impossible to intercept.
Ukraine is now seeking more anti-missile systems such as THAAD and Aegis to help defend against longer-range Russian ballistic missiles such as Oreshnik, which struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Nov. 21.
Russia:
Oreshnik
The design of this intermediate-range missile is based on the technology used in Russia’s intercontinental ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. So the strike on Dnipro was interpreted as a warning to the West of Russia’s readiness to use some of the more powerful weapons in its arsenal. Oreshnik may have a range of 5,000 kilometers, putting most of Europe and the US West Coast within striking distance of Russian territory.
Kh-101
Russia has a wide arsenal of cruise missiles, denoted by the prefix “Kh,” that vary in speed and can be fired from strategic bombers flying hundreds of kilometers inside Russian territory. Ukraine regularly reports downing Kh-59/69 and Kh-101 missiles by the dozen during large-scale barrages.
Iskander-M
This is a road-transported, short-range ballistic missile system with a range of 500 kilometers. Russia has used them frequently in deadly attacks on Ukraine, firing them from its own territory close to the border. Iskander launchers can carry two missiles on one vehicle.
Kinzhal
These new-generation air-launched ballistic missiles, whose name means “Dagger,” can travel up to 10 times the speed of sound and are difficult to intercept. Russia used the weapon for the first time in combat in March 2022, just weeks after its invasion of Ukraine. It has continued to strike critical Ukrainian military and infrastructure targets with the Kinzhal. Its manufacturer, Russian state holding company Rostec, said in 2023 it had begun to mass produce the weapon.
Tochka-U
An improved version of the Tochka ballistic missile which has a maximum range of 120 kilometers, the Soviet-era weapon is designed to strike tactical targets such as command centers, airfields and infrastructure. Both Russia and Ukraine have stockpiles of the missile, which is out of production, and have used it frequently in the conflict.
Glide bombs
Russia has used large numbers of these relatively cheap, air-launched weapons to attack frontline troops and urban areas, such as Kharkiv, causing major damage and heavy casualties. Their explosive component dates from the Soviet era and they’ve been retrofitted with wings and GPS systems to improve their range and accuracy.
Air-defense missiles
The mainstay of Russia’s air defense is the S-400 long-range mobile surface-to-air system. Designed to target missiles and aircraft, it entered service in 2007 but is still regarded as one of Russia’s most effective defensive assets. The more advanced S-500 that has been in Russia’s arsenal for three years has a longer range and can engage hypersonic missiles. Russia deploys these systems in overlapping arrays to ensure it can continue to detect incoming threats when one node is being attacked.
--With assistance from Olesia Safronova and Aliaksandr Kudrytski.
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