The US-made systems are having trouble intercepting upgraded Russian missiles, according to Igor Romanenko
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RT reports: Kiev’s US-made Patriot air defense systems are proving increasingly
ineffective at repelling Russian missile strikes, former Deputy Chief of
General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Igor Romanenko has claimed.
The first of the missile systems arrived in Ukraine in April
2023 and they have been supplied by a number of NATO countries,
including the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Kiev does not “have that many Patriot batteries,” and the effectiveness of those at its disposal has “fallen from 42% to 6%” recently, the retired lieutenant general told Ukraine’s Espreso TV on Friday.
Romanenko
attributed the development to software upgrades the Russian military
has made to its Iskander missiles, which have reportedly increased their
speed and maneuverability as they approach their targets.
Last
week, the Financial Times, citing anonymous Ukrainian and Western
officials, similarly reported that Russian missiles are now capable of
following a normal arc before veering into a steep terminal dive or
performing maneuvers that “confuse and avoid” Patriot
interceptors. According to the paper, Moscow has likely upgraded the
Iskander-M mobile system and the air-launched Kinzhal.
According to the FT, a former Ukrainian official described the improved maneuverability of the Russian missiles as a “game changer.”
The outlet cited data released by the Ukrainian Air Force indicating
that the interception rate of Russian ballistic missiles had improved
over the summer, reaching 37% in August, but then falling to just 6% in
September.
In May, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yury Ignat stated that the ballistic trajectories of the Iskander-M missiles had been “improved and modernized.”
The Kremlin has consistently maintained that no amount of Western
military aid to Ukraine can change the course of the conflict, and only
serves to unnecessarily prolong the bloodshed.
On Friday, the Russian military reported launching a “massive strike”
against Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and the energy facilities
supporting its operations. The Russian Defense Ministry said the attack
was in response to Ukrainian “terrorist attacks” on civilian facilities.
The
strikes caused a large-scale blackout in Kiev, according to local media
and officials. Power outages were also reported in several other
regions across Ukraine. Vladimir Zelensky claimed that rainy weather and
fog had prevented the Ukrainian air defenses from performing optimally.