Direct proof of use
The 9M723 Iskander ballistic missile is directly documented in the Russia-Ukraine War through open-source remnants, munition databases, and strike reporting. On March 9, 2022, Bellingcat reported that local police documented the remains of a cluster variant of an Iskander-M 9M723 missile near Kramatorsk after Ukrainian forces said it had been shot down. Human Rights Watch separately listed a cluster-munition variant of the Iskander-M 9M723 ballistic missile as first reported used in Kramatorsk, Donetsk oblast, on the same date.
The Open Source Munitions Portal records 9M723K1 Iskander observations in Ukraine, identifying the model as a rocket or missile and categorizing the listed examples as cluster munitions. Later conflict reporting also documents continued Russian employment: RUSI described Russian 9M723/Iskander-M missiles fired at Ukraine and discussed Ukrainian interception data through October 2025, while Ukrinform, citing Ukraine's Air Force, reported 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles in Russia's large June 1-2, 2026 attack.
Sources: Bellingcat Cluster Munitions Ukraine, HRW Cluster Munition Attacks Ukraine, OSMP 9M723K1 Iskander, RUSI Iskander Improved, Ukrinform June 2026 Large-Scale Air Assault
Timeline
The first dated 9M723 case in the full-scale invasion record used here is the March 9, 2022 Kramatorsk incident, where Bellingcat and HRW connected an Iskander-M 9M723 cluster-variant munition to Donetsk oblast. OSMP's Ukraine collection then provides a broader munition-identification record for 9M723K1 examples in Ukraine rather than a single strike narrative.
By 2025, RUSI was treating Iskander-M launches as a continuing part of Russia's missile campaign against Ukraine and cited a dataset of Russian missile strikes from September 2022 through October 24, 2025. On June 2, 2026, Ukrinform reported a Ukrainian Air Force account of one large overnight attack in which Russia launched 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, and occupied Crimea.
Sources: Bellingcat Cluster Munitions Ukraine, HRW Cluster Munition Attacks Ukraine, OSMP 9M723K1 Iskander, RUSI Iskander Improved, Ukrinform June 2026 Large-Scale Air Assault
Narrative
In this conflict record, the 9M723 is best treated as the ballistic missile component of Russia's Iskander-M strike system. The March 2022 Kramatorsk evidence places an Iskander-M 9M723 cluster-variant munition in eastern Ukraine during the opening phase of the full-scale invasion, while OSMP's 9M723K1 entries show that identifiable Iskander cluster-munition evidence continued to be cataloged from Ukraine.
The weapon's role later broadened beyond individual remnant identifications into repeated long-range missile strike reporting. RUSI described Russian modifications to Iskander 9M723 missiles and cited strike data showing hundreds of Iskander and Kinzhal launches against Ukraine between September 2022 and October 2025. The June 2026 Air Force account reported by Ukrinform shows the missile still appearing in large combined Russian strike packages alongside cruise missiles, Zircon missiles, and one-way attack drones.
The cited sources support Russian use, munition identification, and strike-package context. They do not by themselves establish a complete list of launch units, target sets, or every impact location for 9M723-series missiles across the war.
Sources: Bellingcat Cluster Munitions Ukraine, OSMP 9M723K1 Iskander, RUSI Iskander Improved, Ukrinform June 2026 Large-Scale Air Assault
