Ukrainian defenders are finding it increasingly difficult to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, though the challenge is not new, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force said today, as reported by Ukrainian news outlet Liga.net.
Ukraine has faced a surge in Russian strikes across the country in recent months, including overnight attacks on energy infrastructure, logistics hubs, and civilian areas.
During a television appearance, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat explained that Russia has been gradually modifying its missiles to evade Ukraine’s air defenses, including US-made Patriot systems.
He said missiles following quasi-ballistic trajectories - making slight oscillations on approach - are harder for Patriots to track, as the system operates in automatic mode and struggles to calculate the intercept point.
Ihnat also noted that attacks from multiple directions make it impossible for a single Patriot battery to cover a city effectively. “You need several systems with multiple radars to detect targets and protect a city from different angles,” he said.
Ukraine currently operates approximately seven Patriot batteries. The systems represent the only reliable defense against Russian ballistic missiles, which travel at speeds too fast for less sophisticated air defenses to intercept.
However, Ukraine faces a critical shortage of interceptor missiles, with the Air Force firing Patriots as fast as it receives them - possibly having already exhausted 1,000 missiles since receiving its first batteries in early 2023.
While US President Donald Trump announced 17 additional Patriot systems would be transferred to Ukraine through European financing, delivery timelines remain uncertain as Russia continues its escalating missile campaign.
