Russian missile upgrades challenge Ukraine's defenses
The recent massive attack by the Russians has highlighted the increasing difficulty Ukrainians face in shooting down ballistic missiles, even with the aid of Patriot anti-aircraft systems. Ukrainian military officials attribute this challenge to modifications made by the invaders to their weapons.
The Unian agency reports that on the night of April 5th to 6th, the Russians targeted the Kyiv region, including the Ukrainian capital, with six Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Russia's Bryansk region. The defenders managed to intercept only one of the Iskanders.
Russians are improving ballistic missiles
Colonel Yuriy Ihnat, head of the press service of the Ukrainian Air Force, emphasized that the Russians are systematically upgrading their weapons to enhance their effectiveness. Although much discussion has centered around Shahed drones, the Russians' efforts are also becoming evident in more destructive weapons like ballistic missiles.
"The same applies to ballistic missiles. After the introduction of Patriot systems, we began to record good results in shooting down Kinzhals and Iskanders. Now it’s more difficult because the enemy is upgrading their ballistic missiles," commented Yuriy Ihnat.
Dangerous Russian weapons. Are the Ukrainians lacking Patriots?
The Iskander-M system provides the Russians with significant capabilities. The missiles, which measure over 23 feet, can strike targets at distances of 310 to 370 miles. Like other ballistic weapons, they achieve high speeds after launch — about 6-7 Mach (approximately 4,570 to 5,340 mph). Consequently, intercepting Iskander-M missiles poses a challenge for anti-aircraft defenses.
One of the few weapons capable of countering such threats is the Patriot system. However, modifications by the Russians to their ballistic missiles may reduce the effectiveness of these defenses. Yuriy Ihnat noted that Ukraine is sharing this information with Western partners and requesting that they consider system upgrades.
Ukrainian military expert and former general staff spokesman Vladyslav Selezniov also remarked that the Russian modifications to ballistic missiles will increasingly strain the defenders. These attacks are particularly challenging because drone strikes often accompany them.
"Not always will our air and missile defense systems, even the most effective ones, be able to repel all enemy attacks. Moreover, as observed, they continue to combine missile attacks with drones. It can be noted that the production of these drones must have increased," evaluated Vladyslav Selezniov on NV radio.
