Ukraine reports first-ever use of RM-48U target missiles by Russia

For the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has reportedly used RM-48U target missiles against targets in Ukraine, according to military-affiliated public channels, quoted by Ukrainian media.

The RM-48U missiles are modified surface-to-air missiles — either 5V55 or 48N6DM — originally part of the S-300PM and S-400 air defence systems and used for training air defence personnel. These missiles are manufactured from decommissioned munitions whose operational lifespan has expired.

According to reports, Russia is now employing these converted missiles to strike ground targets, effectively repurposing the S-300 and S-400 systems as substitutes for operational-tactical missile systems. Experts assess that this shift may indicate a shortage of specialised strike missiles. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) estimates that Russia may possess approximately 400 such missiles.

Separately, on the night of January 20, Russian forces reportedly launched an Iskander-I ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia. 

Earlier, footage emerged showing a Russian Iskander missile system striking a US-made Patriot air defence battery deployed by Ukrainian forces. The strike reportedly occurred near the village of Shevchenko in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.

In addition, Ukrainian authorities stated that on January 13, Russia carried out a record number of Iskander strikes, with approximately 20 ballistic missile impacts recorded across the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

By Tamilla Hasanova