Russia to receive hundreds of ballistic missiles from Iran in near future

On August 9, Reuters reported that Russia is set to receive hundreds of Fath-360 and other ballistic missiles from Iran, following an agreement signed in December 2023 between Moscow and Tehran. Intelligence sources revealed that Russian military personnel are currently undergoing training on the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system in Iran.

Iran is a close ally of Russia, and their military and political cooperation has intensified since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Notably, Iran has supplied Russia with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones and, according to February reports, a significant number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

On August 5, the New York Times reported that Iran has requested modern air defense systems from Russia, as it prepares for potential conflict with Israel, with deliveries already underway.

The Fath-360 missiles reportedly have a range of 120 kilometers (75 miles) and a warhead weighing 150 kilograms. Although no specific timeline was provided for the missile transfer, sources indicated that it is expected to occur soon.

In response, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council warned Reuters that Western allies are prepared to deliver a "swift and severe response" if Iran proceeds with the missile transfers. The spokesperson noted that such transfers would mark a significant escalation in Iran's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and highlighted ongoing concerns about the deepening security partnership between Russia and Iran.

Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York denied the missile transfer allegations, stating, "From an ethical standpoint, Iran refrains from transferring any weapons, including missiles, that could potentially be used in the conflict with Ukraine until it is over," despite evidence of Iranian-made weapons appearing in Ukraine.

Belarusian president orders Iskander missile systems and rocket artillery to be sent to border with Ukraine

Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, has ordered the reinforcement of military forces in the Gomel and Mozyr tactical areas, which border Ukraine’s Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts.

According to Belarusian state-owned news outlet BelTA, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that Lukashenko has directed an enhancement of the force grouping in these regions.

Khrenin stated: "The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces [Lukashenko] has instructed the strengthening of the forces in the Gomel and Mozyr tactical areas. Special operations forces, ground forces, and rocket units—including Polonez multiple-launch rocket systems and Iskander missile systems—are being deployed to these areas."

Earlier, Lukashenko had claimed that Belarus had intercepted "several targets coming from Ukraine" over its territory.

Five civilians injured in Russian attack on Kherson

On August 10, five civilians were injured in a Russian attack on the city of Kherson, according to Roman Mrochko, Head of Kherson City Military Administration.

At approximately 07:00, a 65-year-old man was injured at a bus stop, sustaining blast injuries and shrapnel wounds to his chest. Another man, around 54, was hospitalized with blast injuries. A 75-year-old man was also admitted to the hospital in serious condition with blast trauma and shrapnel wounds.

Later, a 45-year-old woman sought medical assistance, and an 82-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in Kherson. The elderly woman suffered blast injuries and shrapnel wounds when Russian forces dropped explosives from a drone in the Dniprovskyi district of the city after 11:00.

All of the injured were affected by the Russian attack on Kherson’s Dniprovskyi district.

Russia does not want to redeploy forces to Kursk to avoid disrupting their offensive

The Russian military command may be resisting the redeployment of forces from other operational fronts to prevent disruptions to their offensive operations in eastern Ukraine due to developments in Kursk Oblast.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), "The Russian military command appears to be relying on existing units deployed near the international border and readily available forces in the rear, most of which are staffed with conscripts and irregular forces, to address the ongoing Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast. These units would likely be the first to respond, even if the Russian military command has decided to transfer additional, more experienced units from elsewhere in the theatre."

Reports indicate that the Russian military command has redeployed forces from unspecified operational reserves to Kursk Oblast, including conscripts, special forces (such as the Main Directorate of the General Staff of Russia, GRU), special operations forces (SOF), additional Chechen special forces units operating under the Russian Ministry of Defence, the 1st Army Corps of the "Donetsk People's Republic" [a self-proclaimed and unrecognized quasi-state formation in Donetsk Oblast – ed.], and former Wagner Group personnel.

ISW noted, "The Russian military command may currently be transferring more experienced and better-provisioned frontline units from eastern or southern Ukraine to Kursk Oblast, but it would likely take additional time for these units to arrive."

A Russian military blogger reported that units from the 44th Army Corps (Leningrad Military District) of Russia's Northern Group of Forces are operating near Rylsk, Kursk Oblast. The blogger speculated that these forces might have been initially gathered for an offensive in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv Oblast.

If accurate, this would suggest that Russian military leadership has decided that abandoning the northern Kharkiv offensive is a necessary compromise to avoid drawing forces away from higher-priority sections of the front.

A broader redeployment of Russian forces from the front lines is expected to be gradual, with more capable frontline units likely arriving in Kursk Oblast over the coming days.