Reports from Ukraine about a new Russian missile known as the Iskander-1000 may have some basis, as experts cited by Izvestia say there are indirect indications that such a weapon could exist.

Dmitry Kornev, editor-in-chief of the MilitaryRussia portal, noted that a missile resembling the standard 9M723 used by the Iskander system was spotted in footage from a Russian testing range back in 2024. However, the missile appeared to be larger than the existing model. Experts suggested at the time that the new weapon could have a range of up to 1,000 kilometers.

Kornev believes it is unlikely that Russia will officially announce the introduction of another missile within the Iskander family. As a result, the characteristics of the possible new modification can currently be assessed only through indirect evidence.

Analyst Yuri Lyamin believes the new low-observable missiles could strike military targets at considerable distances deep inside Ukraine. In his assessment, their range would be sufficient to hit targets in Lviv.

Former colonel and defense expert Anatoly Matviychuk has also previously commented on reports about the possible use of the Iskander-1000. He attributed Ukrainian claims about the new Russian weapon to fear of missiles that, according to him, Ukraine is unable to intercept.

Another reason for speculation about a longer-range version of the Iskander emerged in December. Ukrainian military observer Roman Bochkala reported that a Russian Iskander-M missile launch had been detected in Ukraine with a flight range of approximately 800 kilometers. In his view, this could indicate the use of a new modification of the operational-tactical missile system unofficially known as the Iskander-1000.