Russian S-400 Systems Use New Ballistic Missile Strike Capability to Bombard Ukraine’s Capital

Russian forces launched ballistic missiles against Kiev’s Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts late on October 29, reportedly employing RM-48U missiles fired from S-400 long range air defence systems. The strikes caused fires and damage to warehouses, residential buildings and other infrastructure. The RM-48U is understood to be a modified derivative of the 48N6 interceptor family originally developed for the S-300PM and later integrated into the S-400. Ukrainian investigators have assessed that it is less accurate and has a less powerful warhead than the much more costly missiles from the 9K720 Iskander-M ballistic missile system.

S-400 systems have seen growing use for ballistic missile strikes from mid-2026, with the very limited challenges posed by Ukrainian air power allowing the systems to be refocused towards supporting offensive operations. Designed to engage aerial targets at speeds exceeding Mach 6, the RM-48U retains extremely high velocity even when employed in a ballistic attack profile. Its high kinetic energy, combined with a substantial fragmentation warhead, makes it capable of inflicting severe damage against large industrial facilities despite not having been originally designed as a precision strike weapon. Unlike purpose-built tactical ballistic missiles, converted interceptor missiles generally possess lower accuracy because their guidance systems were designed to engage manoeuvring aerial targets rather than fixed ground objectives. As a result, they are typically employed against large-area targets such as industrial complexes, logistics centres, warehouses and military facilities, where even moderate circular error probable values remain operationally effective. 

Ukrainian sources indicate that Russia has more than doubled the production rate of the RM-48U, with output set to reach approximately 500 missiles in 2026, compared to just 200 in 2025. Each integrates a 180 kilogram high-explosive fragmentation warhead, compared to the 500 kilometre warheads typically integrated onto missiles from the Iskander-M system. Alongside the new use of S-400s for strike operations, operational doctrine for surface-to-air operations has evolved considerably. One of the most notable changes has been the use of new over-the-horizon engagement tactics, which were key to inflicting extreme losses on the Ukrainian fighter fleet. This involved deploying S-400 launchers in concealed forward "ambush" positions optimal for engaging Ukrainian aircraft almost immediately after take-off.