The Russian army has improved the ballistic missiles it uses to strike Ukraine, complicating the work of air defense systems, including the Patriot system. This was reported by the Head of the Communications Directorate of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuriy Ihnat, during a national TV marathon.
According to him, the upgrades concern Iskander-M missiles. “We and our partners have information that the enemy’s missiles attacking along a ballistic trajectory have been upgraded and modernized. We’re talking about the deployment of radar decoys that each missile can release while approaching its target,” Ihnat explained.
He also noted that the missiles can now perform flight maneuvers. “The flight of a ballistic missile along a quasi-ballistic trajectory—when it does not follow a straight path but maneuvers mid-flight—makes interception more difficult. The Patriot system, which calculates the interception point, has a harder time predicting where to strike,” he said.
Ihnat emphasized that although these factors do complicate air defense efforts, they do not make interception impossible. “I believe our partners are working on this to improve the system’s capabilities accordingly,” he added.