London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 27, 2026

Russia is running short of long-range missiles, say Western officials

Russia is running short of long-range missiles, say Western officials

Moscow is having to rely on Iranian drones for its assaults on Ukrainian cities.
Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine’s electricity network before the winter but is struggling with a shortage of high-precision, long-range missiles, Western officials said Tuesday.

Ukraine says Russia has destroyed almost a third of its power stations through missile attacks launched in the last week, causing power cuts across the country including parts of Kyiv and the southern city of Mykolaiv.

Western officials said the Kremlin was “pursuing a deliberate strategy of attempting to destroy Ukraine’s electricity network” but was increasingly relying on Iranian Shahed (martyr) drones because its stockpiles of cruise missiles were running low.

“Our assessment is that the ability for the Russians to continue with these saturating barrages of precision weapons is getting to the point now where this will be unsustainable,” one official said.

Ukrainian forces are “effectively neutralizing many” Iranian drones before they hit key strategic targets in the country, the official added.

“They do fly quite slowly though so they are much more susceptible to being shot down by small arms and other systems. The tactics have been: Using them en masse in the hope some get through,” the official said.

In an update earlier this week, the U.K.’s defense ministry questioned Russia’s capability of launching long-range missile attacks, arguing the Russian defense industry “is probably incapable of producing advanced munitions at the rate they are being expended.”

Earlier Tuesday, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching “cowardly drone attacks.”

“These are desperate acts of a man losing a war on the battlefield,” he tweeted. “It’s why we sent air defence missiles. He won’t break the Ukrainians or our resolve to stand with them.”

The Western official also said the Russian forces are being led by a very small number of inexperienced officers, quickly promoted despite their lack of battlefield experience.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
UK Care Workers May Receive Immigration Exemptions Under Proposed Visa Changes
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper Begins Emergency Talks to Address NHS Staffing Shortages
UK Banks Launch High-Interest Savings Offers to Attract Household Deposits
North Sea Oil Drilling Projects Face Delays After Offshore Equipment Accident
Cairngorms Wildfire Highlights Growing Pressure on UK Emergency Services
UK Government Borrowing Plans Put Pressure on Ten-Year Gilt Markets
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Returns After NATO Northern Flank Mission
Metropolitan Police Opens Criminal Investigation Into Reform UK Political Donations
Scottish Government Requests Military Support as Cairngorms Wildfire Forces Emergency Response
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils New Cabinet Team
War, Youth Revolt and the Global Struggle for Control
War, Power and the Rising Price of Political Decisions
High Street Sales Suffer Sharpest Summer Decline in Five Years
Wales Approves Higher Taxes on Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties
Environment Agency Imposes Record £150 Million Penalty on Water Companies
UK Competition Watchdog Blocks U.S. Takeover of Cambridge Chip Designer
Scotland Unveils Land Reform Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Projects
Northern Ireland Secures £500 Million Technology Investment for Belfast Cybersecurity Hub
NHS Rolls Out AI Triage System Across Major Hospitals in England
UK Strengthens North Sea Naval Cooperation With European Allies
UK Chancellor Commits £7 Billion to Accelerate Manchester-Leeds Rail Link
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
Badenoch Rejects Grant Shapps' Bid to Return as Conservative Candidate
BAE Chief Warns Britain Has Underestimated the Risk of War
Burnham Rules Out New Scottish Independence Referendum in First Talks With Swinney
UK Government Strengthens Northern Economic Agenda Through Manchester Headquarters and Regional Partnerships
United Kingdom Opens New Furness Peninsula Coastal Route Under King Charles the Third England Coast Path
England Reduces Business Costs for Hospitality Sector Through New Relief Package
United Kingdom Allocates Seven Point Three Million Pounds for Zero-Emission Aviation Research
United Kingdom Begins Restoration Works on Portishead Railway Line After Six Decades Without Passenger Services
United States Tariff Measures Create New Trade Challenges for United Kingdom and European Union Businesses
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets Scottish and Welsh Leaders to Promote Regional Growth Cooperation
United Kingdom Government Announces Twenty Percent Business Rates Cut for Pubs, Clubs, and Music Venues
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Manchester Government Headquarters to Shift Decision-Making Away From Westminster
United Kingdom Defence Ministry Says Armed Forces Ready After Iran Accuses London Over US Military Strikes
United Kingdom Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent as Prime Minister Andy Burnham Gains Economic Breathing Room
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
×