Russia Used the 9M723-2 Iskander-1000 Missile Against Kyiv for the First Time

Russia used the upgraded 9M723-2 ballistic missile, codenamed Iskander-1000, for the first time. It was deployed during one of the combined missile strikes on Kyiv this summer.

The Defense Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported this, publishing new data on the Russian ballistic missile on the War&Sanctions portal.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the 9M723-2 is part of the Russian Bora-M missile system.

The new missile differs from the base 9M723-1 model in that it has a larger engine, which has increased its range. The 9M723-2 is capable of striking targets at distances of up to 550 km, while the 9M723-1 has a range of approximately 390 km.

The Telegram channel Colonel GSh showed debris from this missile, with the marking Ts.M. 9M723-2 visible.

To accommodate the larger missile, the Russians also had to enlarge the launchers; however, according to the Defense Intelligence (DIU), the rest of the missile’s components remained identical to those of the 9M723-1.

Militarnyi reported on the possible emergence of this missile a year ago. At that time, a relatively small order for 18 9M723-2 missiles was discovered in the contracts of Russia’s Machine-Building Design Bureau, with production planned for 2025.

At that time, it was speculated that the 9M723-2 might be linked to the Iskander-1000 extended-range missile project. The contract price for a single missile was estimated at RUB 221 million, or about $2.5 million.

The 9M723 is the primary ballistic missile of Russia’s Iskander-M SRBM. It can carry a warhead weighing about 500 kg.

According to Militarnyi, Russia’s Machine-Building Design Bureau received an order for 1,202 ballistic missiles of various 9M723 modifications for the 2024–2025 period. Of these, 589 missiles were scheduled for manufacture in 2024, and another 643 in 2025.

The largest portion of the order was for the 9M723-1F2 missile with a fragmentation-high-explosive warhead—771 units. Another 217 missiles were designated 9M723-1F3, 185 were 9M723-1K5 with a cluster warhead, and 59 were 9M723-1F1.

Thus, the first deployment of the 9M723-2 confirms that Russia not only ordered this low-production variant but also brought it into combat use.