Russia had 521 intercontinental ballistic missiles as of early 2024
As of early 2024, Russia had 521 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), both land-based and sea-based.
Source: Defense Express with reference to The Military Balance 2024; Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on the Russian nuclear arsenal; and SIPRI Yearbook 2024, World nuclear forces 2023
Details: As noted by the publication, the numbers in all three instances are as of the beginning of 2024; hence, these estimates do not include information on the possibility of the Russians having RS-26 Rubezh missiles at their disposal.
Quote: "Therefore, we can record that at the beginning of this year, Russia had at its disposal a total of 521 land-based and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, and that it took more than two decades of work of the Russian defence industrial base to accumulate such an arsenal."
Details: At the start of the year, Russia's strategic missile forces included:
- 34 ICBMs of the RS-20 Voyevoda type (deployed in 1988);
- 60 ICBMs of the RS-12M Topol-M type (deployed in 1997);
- 18 ICBMs of the RS-12M1 Topol-M type (deployed in 2006);
- 180 ICBMs of the underground-type RS-24 Yars (deployed in 2010);
- 24 ICBMs of the mobile-type RS-24 Yars (deployed in 2014);
- approximately 8 Avangard missiles.
The number of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles remains unknown.
In terms of naval capabilities, Russia has 192 ballistic missiles that can be deployed from 12 nuclear submarines.
According to the newspaper, 112 RSM-56 (or R-30) Bulava missiles have been deployed since 2012, while 80 RSM-54 Sineva missiles have been deployed since 2007.
The Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in turn, stated that Ukraine was the first country in the world to be hit with an intercontinental ballistic missile.
В розпорядження УП потрапило відео першого російського удару по Україні міжконтинентальною балістичною ракетою "Рубеж" pic.twitter.com/Cfx4ZlXhvA
— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) November 21, 2024
Background:
- On the morning of 21 November, Russian forces attacked the city of Dnipro, damaging an industrial facility, a rehabilitation centre, houses and garages. Two people were injured in the strike.
- Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in its latest missile attack on Dnipro. Ukrainska Pravda sources suggested that the weapon in question is likely a Rubezh missile, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
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