Ukraine's air defences challenged by missile shortages and Russian tactics

According to the "New York Times," in May 2023, Ukrainian air defence shot down 80 percent of the Russian missiles. Due to ammunition shortages, they can intercept only half as many enemy missiles. The biggest challenges are posed by the Iskander-M ballistic and Kh-22 missiles. But what exactly are these weapons?

The Iskander is a short-range land ballistic missile system. Its launchers are mounted on mobile truck platforms. Russia produces three versions of this system: the Iskander-M, Iskander-K, and Iskander-E (the latter intended for export), with the first being used in Ukraine. Iskander-M ballistic missiles can weigh up to about 500 kilograms. They can reach an altitude of up to 50 kilometres and have a range of roughly 500 kilometres.

The Kh-22 missiles are utilized by Russian long-range aviation and are known for their incredibly high speeds. In the flight phase, they reach speeds of about Mach 3 (approximately 3,600 kilometres per hour), and in the so-called diving phase (when the missile nears the target), speeds can even reach Mach 4 (about 4,900 kilometres per hour).

The use of the Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Kh-22 missiles by Russians to attack Ukrainian positions has been ongoing for some time. However, the issue is exacerbated by growing ammunition shortages among Ukrainian forces, leading to an increase in successful attacks with these Russian weapons.

As reported by the "New York Times," Upon analyzing all reports from the Ukrainian armed forces on Russian missile attacks and the number of missiles intercepted, it's clear that Ukrainian air defence capabilities have significantly declined. Increasingly, Russian assaults on civilian infrastructure, weapon factories, supply routes to the front, or simply frontline units are proving unstoppable.

Kyiv is increasingly making desperate appeals to Western allies for more air defence systems and ammunition. The situation is made worse by the Russians changing tactics, now launching a greater barrage of fire with a mix of ballistic, maneuvering, and hypersonic missiles all at once. To disrupt the Ukrainian anti-missile defence, they commence with drone attacks, followed by missile strikes from various directions, the newspaper explains.

The most effective Western air defence systems and the ammunition they require are especially crucial for Ukrainians. These mainly include the Patriot and Iris-T systems.