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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Russia, FacebookOne of the most pressing questions for Ukraine at the moment is how to destroy the Russian launchers of the mobile ground-based tactical missile system Iskander, since the arsenal only includes drones.
As Defense Express noted, in the matter of "hunting for launchers" the key role is played by determining the exact target coordinates and the minimal time available to destroy it, and this comes down to minutes.
"To launch the first ballistic missile 9M723 from launcher 9P78-1 from march requires 16 minutes. If it is already in position - up to 4 minutes. The total time spent in position is up to 20 minutes. That is, after the second rocket is launched, the Iskander launcher leaves its position within a few minutes," analysts noted.
They added that theoretically, if the停 stop and the start of deploying the launcher to combat position are fixed, then with available ready ballistic missiles it becomes possible to destroy the target.
At the same time, if only the moment of launch is fixed, after which the own "damage chain" is launched, then such counter-battery warfare using one's own mobile missiles becomes helpless, because the enemy launcher will exit the strike zone earlier.
Ukrainian ballistics
The situation could be improved by ballistic missiles of domestic production, but they do not yet exist.
And American ATACMS, as analysts noted, were provided to Ukraine in a "homeopathic amount" and in light of the situation with Iran, "don’t expect additional ones."
Hope in drones
"Cruise missiles available to Ukraine cannot hit moving ground targets. There is also no information about such an option in rocket-drones. Therefore, among all means only drones remain in the category of swarm munitions and middle strike," the publication noted.
Moreover, analysts say, such means have already been used. For example, on the night of 6 July, soldiers of the 413-th Regiment of the Light unmanned systems Forces destroyed in the Bryansk region a launch installation of the S-400, which was likely involved in strikes on Ukraine by RM-48U missiles.
Drone capabilities
The portal noted that a logical drawback of using drones is their low speed, and, as a result, the long approach time to the target. Thus, if a ballistic missile is launched, conditionally, at a range of 100 km from the front line, and the Ukrainian drone takes off from a similar depth, it will reach the target area in about an hour.
"At the same time, if there is a link with the operator, it is possible to bring the drone to the updated location of the launcher, which should be tracked," the report says.
There is also the possibility of striking ballistic missile launchers that are hiding in shelters. The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces carried out such a strike on the night of 28 April. In September 2025, a strike was carried out on the location of the Iskander missiles at the Molkino training ground in the Krasnodar region — six launcher vehicles of the complex were burned.
Two options for action
"So, in one case you need to anticipate the time and place of launching or deployment of the Iskander, or fix a launch and with hourly reconnaissance assets accompany the target. Or ensure round-the-clock patrol of means of destruction and reconnaissance in defined areas. In the other — track where the enemy hides its means," the analysts explained.
However, in both cases everything "depends on" intelligence, and also on the possibility of Ukrainian drones to overcome enemy air defense. However, "there are successful cases, and this means practice will scale up, and the tactics will be refined."
Destruction of Russian weapons
As reported by UNIAN, earlier President Volodymyr Zelensky said that within 2026-2027 years it would be possible to create Ukrainian ballistics and corresponding anti-ballistic countermeasures.
At the same time, Ivan Stupak, a military expert, a former employee of the Security Service of Ukraine in 2004-2015 years, noted that enemy launchers of the Iskander system must be destroyed at the moment of their deployment. According to him, there are certain ways to "catch" these launchers so as not to wait for American missiles.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Чим Україна може знищувати "Іскандери": експерти назвали єдиний реальний варіант". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: UNIAN.
