Over the past six months, Ukraine has managed to intercept only 46% of incoming missiles, a stark decrease from the 73% interception rate recorded in the previous six-month period. The interception rate dropped even further last month, with only 30% of missiles being successfully intercepted.
This downturn in defensive effectiveness arrives as Russia escalates its offensive with increasingly sophisticated weaponry, including ballistic missiles and drones, with the frequency of Shahed drone attacks nearly doubling in the last six months.
While drones are generally easier to counter, boasting an interception success rate of over 80%, Ukraine has struggled significantly against ballistic missiles, managing to intercept only 10% of these high-speed threats.
The effectiveness of Ukraine's air defenses is critically dependent on advanced systems like the Patriot missile defense systems, which are uniquely capable of intercepting ballistic and S-300 missiles. However, the deployment of these systems has been limited due to previous delays in U.S. defense aid, which was only recently approved by Congress.
President Zelensky has indicated that Ukraine would need a minimum of seven Patriot systems to adequately defend its territory, though ideally, 25 units would be required for comprehensive coverage, Kyiv Post reported.
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Source: Kyiv Post, Wall Street Journal
