Moscow has been able to modify its missiles so that when shelling Ukrainian cities, they can maneuver and deceive air defense systems, including American Patriots, Ukrainian and Western officials told the Financial Times.
According to them, modifications apparently affected the Iskander-M complex for launching ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, as well as air-launched ballistic missiles Kinzhal, with a range of 480-500 km.
Now the missiles follow a typical trajectory and then go into a steep dive or perform maneuvers that "confuse and evade" Patriot anti-missiles, the publication notes.
The interception rate of Russian ballistic missiles improved in the summer, reaching 37% in August, but sharply fell to 6% in September, analyzed the Financial Times. On Wednesday, the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that all four Iskander-M missiles launched overnight overcame the country's air defense system and hit targets.
According to the publication's sources, at least four drone production plants in Kyiv and its surroundings were seriously damaged as a result of missile strikes in the summer. On August 28, a strike was made on a plant producing Turkish Bayraktar drones. Russian shells "evaded Ukrainian air defense" and also damaged nearby offices of the EU delegation and the British Council, the newspaper writes.
Another reason for what is happening is the stretching of the layered air defense. According to the rules, Patriot complexes should themselves be covered by medium-range air defense like the European Iris-T, but Ukraine is forced to use them separately. As a result, Patriots are forced to fend off attacks both on themselves and on the protected object, which reduces their effectiveness.
Photo: UNIAN