Analysing the statement by the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine that Russia has probably accumulated a sufficient number of Kalibr to strike Ukraine, Defense Express experts have estimated how many such missiles the aggressor country could have.
Defense Express notes that this report may be discordant against the background of reports that the occupiers have moved almost all missile carriers from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, except for the Cyclone corvette, which allegedly does not have the technical capability to load cruise missiles on frigates, corvettes and submarines.
The publication notes that in November 2023, according to intelligence, the Russians had 165 Kalibr missiles. Experts also note that, according to the data available at the time, Russia's production rate of Kalibr could have ranged from 20 to 35 units per month.
Therefore, analysing the data, over the next four months, Russia practically did not use Kalibr to shell Ukraine, and the stockpile of these missiles could have increased by between 80 and 120 units, according to Defense Express.
Thus, Russia may currently have between 245 and 285 Kalibr.
"For comparison, just to illustrate the trend - as of the same November 2023, the Russian invaders had only 160 air-launched cruise missiles of the X-101/555/55 types in stock, meaning that even here, "at the start", the number of air-launched cruise missiles was slightly less than the number of "Kalibr"," the media report said.
The following point should also be taken into account: between 21 and 31 March 2024, the Russian invaders fired a total of 133 X-101/555/55 air-launched cruise missiles at Ukraine. This means that Russia's stockpile of cruise missiles has indeed been exhausted, which probably indicates the credibility of Budanov's words about the return of Kalibr during the shelling of Ukraine.