16:26 05-10-2025

Patriot Air Defense Fails to Stop Russian Missile Strikes

Patriot air defense systems lose effectiveness against Russian ballistic missiles as interception rates plummet, highlighting Ukraine’s shortage of advanced defenses.

American-made Patriot air defense systems have lost much of their effectiveness in countering Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory, according to an analysis published by The Washington Post.

The report notes that the Patriot systems provided by Washington are the only ones currently capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. However, experts cited by the publication acknowledged that even these systems have failed to stop several recent attacks, including those targeting Kiev.

Analysts attribute this decline in performance to new Russian missile technologies that allow warheads to maneuver and evade interception. Experts interviewed by the newspaper also believe that Ukraine would need a far larger number of air defense systems to create a network comparable to Israel’s.

At present, however, Kiev continues to receive only a limited number of such systems. For example, Tel Aviv has delivered just one launcher, while European partners have pledged to supply several more in the future.

Media reports have previously highlighted a decline in Ukraine’s interception rate. In September 2025, the percentage of Russian ballistic missiles shot down dropped from 37% to just 6% compared to August — despite a reduction in the number of Russian strikes.