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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia continues to expand its ballistic missile capabilities, claiming Moscow produces approximately 140 ballistic missiles every month and already has around 700 of them in storage.
The Ukrainian president argues the international community has the power to weaken Russia's missile production by cutting off the supply chains that feed it. According to his statement, approximately 70 percent of the components used in each ballistic missile originate from foreign sources, including companies in Asia, the United States and Europe. He is calling on those countries to do more to prevent their companies' products from reaching Russia, arguing that tighter export controls and stronger enforcement of sanctions could make it harder for Moscow to sustain its missile attacks on Ukraine.
Zelensky has been pressing the foreign-components case for years. In August 2026 he wrote on Facebook, after a conversation with the head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, Oleksandr Hrytsenko, that "without foreign components, the Russians are unable to implement any element of their missile program" — adding that all supplies of parts, equipment and machines Russia uses to produce missiles must be completely blocked. His sanctions commissioner, Vladyslav Vlasuk, said electronic components produced in the USA, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, France, the UK and Switzerland are still being found in the Russian ballistic missile systems Ukraine has studied, particularly in Iskander-M missiles and missiles used in the S-400 air-defense systems.
The scale of the arsenal Zelensky describes is supported by Ukrainian military intelligence. In a detailed assessment given to Ukrainian outlet NV, the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said Russia now holds up to 700 ballistic missiles — including roughly 115 Iskander-M missiles, with up to 65 built each month, and up to 400 RM-48U missiles adapted from the S-300 and S-400 air-defense families, produced at about 40 a month. HUR also estimated Moscow holds about 6,200 Shahed-type attack drones and is producing around 10,000 drones a month.
Zelensky has tied the production figures directly to Ukraine's air-defense needs, saying the country needs 100 to 120 ballistic missile interceptors every month for the difficult winter months ahead, on the basis that defeating each incoming ballistic missile requires two interceptors.
Cutting off the supply is not straightforward. The challenge includes distinguishing between companies knowingly supplying Russia's military and products reaching Russia through intermediaries, third countries or sanctions evasion, since some components have legitimate civilian applications — and Russia has continued developing its own domestic production capabilities and alternative supply networks despite international sanctions. Whether tighter controls can reduce the threat of future missile attacks depends on international cooperation, enforcement, and the ability to stop companies from circumventing the restrictions.