Russia Moves Iskander Missiles to Ukraine Border from Far East — CIT

Russia again hides behind “preparations for exercises,” even though they are still eight months away.

Analysts from Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), which track the movements of the Russian army, have recorded the transfer of Russian Iskander missile systems from the Far East to Ukraine's borders.

Thus, a video was filmed in the Russian Far East. In it, analysts were able to identify the 9K720 Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system.

“Despite the fact that the characteristic eight-axle launchers 9P78-1 and/or transport-loader vehicles (TZM) 9T250-1 are covered with tarpaulin, they can be identified by their outlines. It should be noted that during all our observations, we did not see tarpaulin completely covering any other equipment besides these two vehicles of the Iskander-M system,” the report says.

Specialists note that similar vehicles, though covered less carefully, can be seen in another video filmed in Sverdlovsk Region and posted on January 13. The video shows KUNGs (a standardized closed-body van type of military trucks and trailers — Ed.) on KAMAZ three-axle chassis.

Analysts believe this equipment may be vehicles of the Iskander-M system (9T248, 9S552, 9S920-1 or 9U91).

In addition, the video shows truck convoys with KAMAZ-44108 tractor units and flatbed semi-trailers. According to CIT, this equipment is used to transport the system's long (about 7 m) missiles, and they can be spotted, for example, in a frame from the Russian Defense Ministry's TV channel, published by researcher Robert Lee, where drone footage shows Iskander-M systems.

Analysts cite information from open databases, according to which these trains departed from the Diviznaya station in Ulan-Ude and from the Birobidzhan-2 station, near which the 103rd and 107th Russian missile brigades are deployed, respectively. These formations, which have Iskanders in their arsenal, are part of the 36th and 35th combined arms armies of the Russian Armed Forces.

Earlier, CIT had already reported on the movement of units from these armies in the western direction. The transfer of the 107th missile brigade to Ukraine is also mentioned in comments to one of the videos with military equipment, the experts added.

CIT notes that the transfer of Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems is not something new: last spring, researchers already noticed Iskanders in Voronezh Region, presumably of the 119th missile brigade of the 41st combined arms army, which was being transferred to the Pogonovo training ground at the time. Later they were also spotted in satellite images of the training ground itself.

Analysts emphasize that such brigades are army-level assets, meaning that most likely not separate battalion tactical groups but significant forces of the armies stationed there are being moved from the Eastern Military District.

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry explained the transfer of units and formations of the Eastern Military District as a “surprise inspection” with deployment to training grounds far from their permanent bases.

On January 12, Conflict Intelligence Team analysts also reported that over the past week they had recorded around 30 videos on social media showing the transfer of military personnel and equipment from Siberia and the Far East to Russia's western regions.