Ukraine air defenses under pressure as two Russian missile types again evade interception
By Andrew Carey and Jack Guy, CNN
(CNN) — Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted just two-thirds of the missiles and drones fired by Russia during its latest barrage early Wednesday, as two Russian missile types in particular highlighted why Kyiv is pressing allies for more help protecting its cities.
Regions right across the country were targeted in the “massive” missile attack, according to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Hits were reported in Kyiv, where authorities said four people were killed and 38 others injured, as well as in the Lviv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Data from Ukraine’s air force shows that all three Iskander ballistic missiles and four Kh-22 cruise missiles fired by Russian forces evaded attempts to bring them down.
Although air defenses have brought down Iskander missiles in the past, it is believed that Ukraine has failed to intercept a single KH-22 in two years of war.
Ukraine did have some success, bringing down 26 of 29 Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 type cruise missiles, all three Kalibr cruise missiles and 15 of 20 Shahed drones fired by Russia.
The air force said an array of means was used to try to defeat the Russian attack, including air defense missiles, ground forces, and electronic warfare systems.
However, Wednesday morning’s overall success rate is lower than during many missile and drone barrages in 2023, when interception rates were often above 80%.
Ukraine has been pleading with allies to provide it with more air defense systems, as well as help re-stock its supply of interceptors, as Russia has begun the new year with a barrage of air attacks.
Russian salvos last month employed the full gamut of its aerial arsenal: cruise missiles, ballistic missiles from near the Russian-Ukrainian border, hypersonic missiles and slower drones, all sometimes used to hit the same target, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told CNN a few weeks ago.
International analysts say the onslaught of Russian missiles, stockpiled for months, aims to overwhelm Ukraine’s limited missile defense.
The Ukrainian air defense is working “at the edge of its capacity,” Oleksiy Melnyk, co-director of international security programs at the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, told CNN.
Stopping more missiles would require more interceptor missile batteries, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday his country is “sorely lacking.” Ukraine is currently unable to produce modern air defense systems with its partners, he said.
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CNN’s Olga Voitovych and Alex Stambaugh contributed to this report.
