Russia’s Iskander Cruise Missile Targets Ukrainian Civilians, Hospitals, Children Near Kyiv

By Maya Carlin

In recent months, hostilities between Russian and Ukrainian forces have ramped up nearly fifteen months into the invasion. As the bloody battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut continues to unfold, Moscow is unleashing barrages of missile and drone attacks targeting Kyiv and the surrounding areas. 

Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Air Force revealed that it had destroyed 11 Iskander short-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles launched toward the country.

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Footage of Ukrainian civilians taking shelter in underground metro systems in Kyiv widely circulated, highlighting the constant fear of bombardment in the city. Designated by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as SS-26 “Stone,” Russia’s 9K720 Islander missile system is responsible for delivering the country’s ballistic missile arsenal. The Iskander is the Kremlin’s most advanced ballistic and cruise missile launcher in service today.

Iskander History

The Iskander system was derived in the 1980’s by the Russian army to replace the aging Scud missile. Developed during the Soviet era, the Scud series of tactical ballistic missiles were widely exported and used extensively in conflicts in the Middle East.

Initially, the USSR produced the OTR-23 Oka mobile ballistic missile to replace the Scud missile during the final years of the Cold War. However, the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty banned the OTR-23 in the late 1980’s, since several Warsaw Pact countries procured the missile systems with equipment to load Soviet nuclear warheads. By 1988, design work on the Iskander commenced, and the missile launcher carried out its first successful launch in the mid-1990s.