The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has provided estimates of russian intermediate-range ballistic missiles production rate. This is about the RS-26 Rubezh or Oreshnik missiles.
We are talking about 25 intermediate-range ballistic missiles per year. This became known thanks to a response to a request by Babel publication. It is noted that this parameter was derived based on the experience of manufacturing Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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It is still unknown whether production capacities are fully focused on these missiles only, or if the production of Yars intercontinental missiles and others is maintained. All of these missiles, including the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile, are manufactured at the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in Udmurtia.
As Defense Express, we note that the production rate of Yars missiles in the russian federation, as of 2019, was 20 units per year. That is, russia can most likely meet the target of 25 Rubezh or Oreshnik missiles only by suspending or significantly reducing production of intercontinental missiles. This is quite logical, given that an intermediate-range ballistic missile is smaller and cheaper than an intercontinental one.
But halting the production of intercontinental missiles hardly suits the Kremlin. At the same time, increasing the production of this type of weapon requires the expansion of not only the Votkinsk plant, where the final assembly takes place, but also its contractors. Such processes are already being recorded. For instance, russia is expanding the production capacity of solid-fuel engines used in these missiles.
It is quite possible that the Kremlin plans to start deploying intermediate-range ballistic missiles fairly quickly, aimed primarily at Europe. Moreover, for this purpose, Moscow needs to have missiles with a range of 3,500 kilometers, which will allow it to reach even Portugal from its own territory, while all intercontinental missiles will be aimed at the United States.
Earlier Defense Express reported that russia had claimed a shortage of 400,000 workers in its defense industry.
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