The increased use of Russian ballistic missiles with improved maneuverability has reduced the effectiveness of Ukrainian Patriot missile systems, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) confirms, Focus writes.
Russian missile strikes, as well as drone attacks, have generally increased in recent months, but have recently decreased to some extent on the eve of tomorrow's meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, writes The War Zone.
It is noted that Ukrainian Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems are now finding it more difficult to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. In total, Ukraine has five batteries of these air defense systems.
A report by the US Department of Defense Agency states that one of the main problems for Ukraine is that after the improvements, Russian ballistic missiles have learned to change their trajectory and perform maneuvers, rather than flying along the traditional ballistic trajectory.
"For example, the attack on June 28 included seven ballistic missiles, of which the AFU shot down only one. The massive attack on July 9 - the largest air attack since the beginning of the full-scale war - included 13 missiles, of which the AFU shot down or suppressed 7“, the report states.
The publication notes that the service did not specify exactly what missiles were in question. However, in May, Yuri Ignat, the head of the communications department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, told The Kyiv Independent that the Russians had improved the Iskander-M and KN-23 missiles that North Korea supplies to Moscow, making it more difficult to combat them.
The TWZ publication recalls that Russia's active use of the Iskander-M missiles at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine revealed the presence of a built-in function for false targets. Since then, evidence has emerged that this function is not present in all missiles. Now Russia is seeking to begin wider use of such targets in its missiles.