Russian missile upgrades challenge Ukrainian defences
The recent large-scale attack by the Russians has highlighted the increasing difficulty for Ukrainians in intercepting ballistic missiles, even with the support of Patriot anti-aircraft systems. Ukrainian military officials attribute this challenge to the modifications the invaders have made to their weaponry.
The Unian agency reports that during the night of April 5th to 6th, the Russians targeted the Kyiv region, including the Ukrainian capital, with six Iskander-M ballistic missiles. These were launched from sites in 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 Air Force of Ukraine, stressed that the Russians are systematically upgrading their weapons to enhance their effectiveness. While there has been much discussion about these efforts in relation to the Shahed drones, the Russians' endeavours are also becoming apparent in more destructive weapons, including ballistic missiles.
– The same goes for ballistic missiles. After deploying the Patriot systems, we initially saw good success in intercepting Kinzhals and Iskanders. Now it's becoming more challenging because the enemy is enhancing their ballistic missiles – commented Yuriy Ihnat.
Dangerous Russian weapons. Are the Ukrainians lacking Patriots?
The Iskander-M system grants the Russians significant capabilities. The missiles used measure over 7 metres and can strike targets at distances of several hundred (500-600) kilometres. Like other ballistic weapons, they achieve high speeds after launch – approximately 6-7 Mach (about 7,350 to 8,580 km/h). Consequently, missiles from the Iskander-M system are difficult for anti-aircraft defences to intercept.
One of the few weapon systems capable of countering such threats is the Patriot system. However, the modifications introduced by the Russians to their ballistic missiles can diminish their effectiveness. Yuriy Ihnat noted that Ukraine is sharing information with Western partners, urging them to consider these modifications and also upgrade their systems.
Ukrainian military expert and former General Staff spokesman Vladyslav Selezniov also remarked that the modifications made by the Russians to their ballistic missiles will increasingly challenge the defenders, especially since drone strikes support these attacks.
– Our air and missile defence systems, even the most effective ones, will not always be able to counter every enemy attack. Moreover, as observed, they continue to combine missile assaults with drone attacks. It seems that the production of these drones has been increased – evaluated Vladyslav Selezniov on NV radio.
