Russia Uses RM-48U Target Missiles in Strike on Ukraine

On the night of January 20, Russia used RM-48U target missiles for the first time to strike ground targets in Ukraine.

The Colonel GSh Telegram channel reported on this.

These missiles can be launched from air defense systems such as the S-300 or S-400.

It is noted that the RM-48U target missile is built on the basis of the 5V55 or 48N6DM surface-to-air guided missile and is intended for air defense system crew training.

These missiles are converted from decommissioned surface-to-air missiles that have reached the end of their service life.

Thus, Russia can use the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems as operational-tactical missile systems to strike ground targets.

In December 2025, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported in the media that these missiles exist in Russia’s arsenal along with their stockpiles – over 400 RM-48U missiles in total.

The Russian forces started using surface-to-air missiles from the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems to strike Ukraine back in the summer of 2022.

When the S-300 air defense system was developed in the USSR, it was designed with the capability to engage fixed ground targets with known coordinates. Its successor, the Russian S-400 Triumf system, also inherited this capability.

Missiles of the 5V55 or 48N6 types, in various modifications, are used to shell Ukrainian cities. Strikes are launched both from temporarily occupied territories and from Russian territory.

The missiles’ warheads are filled with pre‑formed lethal elements in the form of metal cubes. They can be effective against stationary ground targets, such as unprotected warehouses, personnel, and vehicles in open areas, as well as infrastructure facilities.

It has also been reported that Russia is working on a new operational‑tactical missile that could be launched from S‑400 air defense system launchers.