Russia Set Up Nine Iskander-M/K Launch Sites Near the Ukrainian Border

Russia has set up at least nine sites from which it launches Iskander ballistic and cruise missiles into Ukrainian territory.

The relevant identification was published by the Telegram channel Strategic Aviation of the Russian Federation.

In general, Russia uses sites in the south, east, and north for attacks. From these points, the enemy strikes with Iskander-M and Iskander-K missiles.

The geography of the launches covers the Kursk, Bryansk, and Rostov regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the temporarily occupied Crimea.

There are three launch areas in the Kursk region. In particular, west of the village of Shumakovo, there is a military base — the former location of the 9P78-1 installations.

Earlier, Ukrainian drones successfully attacked this facility, destroying several Iskander operational-tactical complexes. It remains unknown whether the enemy is using this location today.

Another launch site is the area around the town of Shchigry in the Kursk region, which the enemy uses mainly for launching Iskander-K cruise missiles, rather than ballistic missiles. As the author of the channel notes, it was from this direction that the invaders struck the capital with 9M727 missiles on the night of January 13.

Another location is in the area of the village of Cheremushki. The enemy uses this site for isolated ballistic attacks. Satellite images show military equipment under camouflage nets — presumably Iskander-M installations.

Near the administrative border with occupied Crimea, the invaders have set up positions near the village of Novoselivske. Several sites for ballistic missile launches are operating in this area.

As the author of the channel notes, according to satellite images, the occupiers are keeping the Iskander installations in the open. In addition, active construction of new fortifications is underway at the sites.

In addition, the Taganrog airfield area has also been added to the list of potential new launch sites. According to preliminary data, on January 28, 2026, a heavy transport aircraft An-124 delivered an Iskander OTRK complex there, which the occupiers subsequently deployed near the airfield.

At the same time, Russia is using other areas for launches, including the outskirts of Taganrog and Millerovo, as well as the Chauda training ground. Despite this, one of the main locations for the deployment of launchers remains the Molkino training ground in the Krasnodar region.

It should be noted that the Iskander operational-tactical missile system remains Russia’s main means of striking deep into Ukraine. According to an analysis of the use of these systems, the occupiers carried out about 492 ballistic missile launches in 2025. At the same time, depending on the tasks, the enemy currently has at least seven types of ballistic missiles for the Iskander-M complex at its disposal.