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Ballistic missile speed leaves Ukraine with minutes to intercept
Ukraine says it has too few Patriot batteries and interceptors, and a recent barrage killed at least 17 people with dozens more wounded.
When Russia fires ballistic missiles at Ukraine, air defenses often have only minutes, sometimes seconds, to detect and intercept the threat, leaving Kyiv and other cities increasingly exposed, according to reporting by SCMP Economy.
The outlet says ballistic missiles are launched like rockets and then dive steeply toward targets at several times the speed of sound, reducing the time available to identify and destroy warheads. It contrasts this with cruise missiles, which behave more like pilotless aircraft.
SCMP Economy also highlights that Ukraine says only the US-made Patriot defense system can stop the missiles, but Ukraine has too few Patriot batteries and interceptors to fully protect itself.
The Associated Press, as cited in the SCMP Economy writeup, described a recent barrage that targeted a brewery, a warehouse, and a mail-sorting office, with at least 17 people killed and dozens more wounded, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The article also quotes an electronic warfare expert comparing the interception problem to a fast game of catch.