As a country with a strong military force, Russia has one of the highest missile numbers in the world. However, exact figures are hard to come by, as military data is often classified. The number of missiles Russia possesses is often extrapolated from overt military analysis, estimates from intelligence agencies, and restrictions imposed by arms control treaties.
As the successor to the huge missile arsenal of the USSR,Russia has the world's most extensive stockpile of ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia remains the main force in the development of various missiles, and the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces are an important part of Moscow's military strategy. Russian missiles perform a variety of missions, from anti-access area denial in local conflicts to transcontinental delivery of strategic nuclear weapons**. Russia has a large number of missiles, including various types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, etc. The exact number will vary according to different types and different strategic needs, and may increase or decrease over time.
Therefore, if we want to have a more comprehensive understanding of the proposition of "how many missiles does Russia have", we need to make a comprehensive analysis from three aspects: the defensive side, the offensive side and strategic deterrence.
Russia is a vast country and has military assets in the Middle East. According to the defense requirements, the main missiles are medium and short-range missiles with a range of 500 km. A simple calculation is based on 10 defense rings, each of which radiates a perimeter of 500 kilometers, with missile brigades as the main body. According to the official number of Russian service personnel, the missile strategic forces in the defense part need to be able to withstand at least three waves of multi-directional saturation attacks. The number of its missiles According to Western experts, Russia has more than 100,000 non-nuclear missiles.
It is difficult to estimate how much of Russia's missile stockpile it has on the offensive end, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict provides a small window. According to statistics, in the whole of 2022, Russia launched 1,100 air strikes on its own initiative. These are all short- and medium-range missiles, and in response to a local conflict, according to the general military strategy, it is necessary to retain at least 2-3 saturation attacks.
Long-range deterrence is another story.
According to the analysis data of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think tank, in order to respond to Russia's defense strategy of 12 ** targets on its east coast, Russia's deployment of long-range conventional missiles is at least 2 saturation attack intensity, and the number is at least 350-450 long-range missiles.
According to official published data from Russia, the country has572 deployed nuclear missiles, total1444 nuclear warheads。The New Start Treaty between Russia and the United States, which sets limits on the number of nuclear weapons on both sides, expired in 2021 and was not renewed, and negotiations are still ongoing. Therefore, the number of nuclear missiles in Russia may be adjusted according to changes in the relevant treaties.
In short, Russia's nuclear ** stockpile is large and diverse, including nuclear and non-nuclear missiles, which constitutes a powerful nuclear deterrent.
Although it is almost impossible to know exactly how many missiles Russia has, since this is a top-secret military secret. However, it should be noted that with missile strikes, either for deterrence, or for the launch of the most valuable targets, superimposed on Russia's domestic military production capacity, troop deployment, and NATO threats, Russia's missile standing inventory will be at least 3 months.