Patriot Air Defense system can intercept Russian ballistic missiles, but positioning is required — Ihnat
The Head of the Communications Department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, spoke about the capabilities of the Patriot air defense system in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Ihnat made these remarks during an appearance on the national telemarathon.
According to him, Patriot complexes are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, but for this to happen, they must be positioned exactly where the enemy has targeted their strike. “Sometimes it is possible to intercept when such an opportunity exists, but this time, unfortunately, it was not possible,” Ihnat noted.
He added that during the most recent attacks, all Kh-101 cruise missiles, as well as ground-based “Iskander” missiles and one aviation-launched missile, were intercepted. However, four ballistic missiles over the eastern regions were not intercepted due to certain circumstances.
Thus, the effectiveness of intercepting ballistic missiles depends on the precise location of the system and the timing of the enemy’s attack.
It is worth recalling that on the night of 17 February, Russia launched a massive strike on Ukraine’s critical and logistical infrastructure. In several regions, water and heat supply were temporarily suspended due to power outages.
