Kh-59 missiles are air-to-surface systems designed to strike ground and naval targets and they have often been used in tandem with Shahed drones by Russia to wreak havoc on Ukrainian infrastructure. Kyiv's claims that Moscow is struggling to produce them because of a lack of components reinforces the argument that continued sanctions targeting lower-tier suppliers could further reduce Russia's strike capacity.

Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that its forces had struck a number of Ukrainian missile plants, weapons design bureaus and rocket fuel productions enterprises with missiles and drones in July.