Russia Stockpiling These Weapons for Winter Attacks on Ukraine

Russia has a substantial cache of weapons to draw upon for an expected winter attack on Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian defense official.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's army launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a winter assault on February 24, 2022. The war is now fast approaching its third winter season, bringing with it practical and tactical challenges to both sides of the battlefield.

Vadym Skibitskyi, representative for the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense (HUR), said in comments published Monday that Russia had produced "115 high-precision missiles" to enhance Moscow's winter stockpile during the month of October alone.

Newly produced cruise missiles purportedly include 40 Kh-101s, 20 "Kalibrs," 12 Iskander-Ks and nine Kh-32s. The weapons are also said to include 30 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and four "Kinzhal," or "dagger," air-launched ballistic missiles.

According to The Kyiv Post, Skibitskyi claimed in the interview with RBK-Ukraine that the total Russian supply of long-range missiles includes the following:

• 165 Kalibr missiles
• 160 units of Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 missiles with warheads
• 290 Iskander-M and Iskander-K missiles
• 80 Kinzhal missiles
• 150 Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles

Skibitskyi said that Russia was planning to launch an attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure "when electricity consumption reaches its peak" during "the onset of cold weather." He predicted that Putin's forces would find it "difficult" to "achieve the result" for which they are hoping.

"[The Russian military is] waiting for the temperature to drop below zero," Skibitskyi said. "This will definitely not be primitive attacks like last year ... we are also preparing and understand how they operate, what they reconnoiter and, accordingly, take measures to protect our energy system."

Russia launched over 100 missiles toward Ukraine in September, but only 40 missiles in October, according to Ukrainska Pravda. The outlet claims that Moscow is capable of producing up to 120 longe-range missiles per month.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Monday.

In September, the British Ministry of Defense warned that Russia was building a "significant" winter stockpile of air-launched cruise missiles by increasing production of the missiles and reducing the number of weapons used before winter.

Drones are another key component of the Russian arsenal for air attacks. Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones have frequently been used during the war, including during last year's attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

However, Russian supplies of the Iranian drones have been dwindling, as they've either exploded at their targets or have been destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

Skibitskyi said during his recent interview that Russia had "recently begun to increase production" on domestically made drones using "components supplied from Iran." Regardless, Moscow was said to be falling short of its purported goal to build 200 drones per month.

Shortly before the arrival of winter, Russia had already started to ramp up its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, particularly in the Kherson region, according to the Associated Press.

Ukraine's counteroffensive has progressed at a far slower pace than the one launched last year and Kyiv may be under increased pressure to advance it as winter approaches. Harsh weather could force the assault to slow further.

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