ISW: Russia Outproduces US on Ballistic Missiles
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- Russia's monthly ballistic missile production now surpasses the US's monthly PAC-3 Patriot interceptor production, with Russian forces simultaneously scaling up drone output and modernizing missile designs.
- Russia is increasing military spending even as state revenues decrease, signaling an economic willingness to sustain a high strike tempo, according to the ISW assessment.
- Russian forces launched 118 drones against Ukraine overnight on June 13, reflecting the growing scale and diversity of Russian strike packages that ISW says underscore the need for continued Western air defense aid.
- Neither side advanced on the ground on June 13, with the front lines static even as both sides conducted overnight long-range strikes — Ukraine hitting Russian energy and military infrastructure in return.
- Unknown actors attempted to assassinate a former Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) official with an improvised explosive device on June 12, a covert incident flagged separately by ISW from the main battlefield picture.
Why it matters: Russia now producing more ballistic missiles per month than the US produces Patriot interceptors creates a structural deficit that even sustained Western aid cannot close quickly. With Russian spending rising despite falling revenues, Moscow appears willing to sustain or escalate the strike tempo, putting immediate pressure on Ukraine's interceptor stocks and on allied production capacity to keep pace.
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