Air defense intercepts fewer ballistic missiles: Ihnat cites main reason

The efficiency of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles by Ukraine’s air defense has declined due to a serious shortage of anti-aircraft guided missiles for Western systems.

This was stated by Yurii Ihnat, head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, on the air of the national telethon.

“We can speak of a shortage. As Heorhii Tykhyi (MFA spokesman — Ed.) has pointed out, there are sources from which missiles nearing the end of their service life can be obtained. They would, so to speak, be considered expired. It would be better to "dispose of" them in Ukraine, since missile disposal is a costly process that requires significant resources. In that sense, it is indeed easier to transfer them to Ukraine so the country can defend itself. In the interviews we conducted today, our Patriot operators and unit commanders also stressed that Ukraine needs stronger protection,” he said.

According to Ihnat, Ukrainian air defenders delivered exceptionally strong results in countering Russian air terror during previous waves of strikes. Recently, however, the situation has deteriorated.

"We saw the massive attacks in May and June. The percentage of ballistic missiles shot down has decreased compared to those preceding months, and even compared to the winter period. That's due to a shortage of air-defense missiles," Ihnat said.