According to monitoring reports, Russia is poised to enhance its missile attacks on Ukraine, particularly targeting Kyiv, in the lead-up to the country’s Independence Day on August 24. U.S. intelligence suggests that the Kremlin may employ its strategic reserves of ballistic missiles for this purpose.
Analysts estimate that the Russian military could launch up to 100 ballistic missiles per month until November, after which the frequency is expected to decrease to around 55–60 missiles monthly. Currently, there are no warnings of an imminent massive ballistic strike, although preparations are reportedly underway.
In a related statement, analyst Pavlyuchenko noted that claims about the deployment of 32 ballistic missiles for attacks, predominantly aimed at Kyiv, are inaccurate. Furthermore, he indicated that negotiations regarding the supply of munitions for Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems have seen some success, with additional strike capabilities expected soon.
Context
- Recently, reports from Ukraine’s Air Force indicated a failure to intercept any Russian ballistic missiles due to a shortage of missiles for air defense systems.
- On August 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is increasing its ballistic missile production capacity. During a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in late July, Zelensky requested 300 Patriot missiles for Ukraine, but his request was reportedly declined.
