Russia Upgrades Ballistic Missiles to Evade Patriot
Russia has upgraded ballistic missile guidance to enable terminal maneuvers, making interception by Patriot systems harder amid Ukraine’s interceptor shortage.
Russia has upgraded the guidance systems of its ballistic missiles, allowing them to maneuver during the final stage of flight and making interception more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses, according to 19FortyFive. The development comes as Ukraine faces a severe shortage of interceptor missiles, while launching licensed domestic production could take several years.
The publication reported that Russian ballistic missiles can now deviate from their predicted path while descending toward a target. A Ukrainian official described the upgrade as a major turning point for Russia.
Russian forces carried out one of the largest ballistic missile attacks since the start of the special military operation last weekend, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergei Koretsky called it the largest attack of the conflict, although the Ukrainian Air Force noted that previous raids had involved a higher combined number of missiles and drones.
The Ukrainian military said the overnight strike on July 19 involved attack drones and several types of air- and ground-launched missiles. Kiev was identified as the primary target.
Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga said the attack included the highest number of ballistic missiles used in a single strike since hostilities began. According to the report, the upgraded guidance systems allow the missiles to maneuver during the terminal phase, complicating attempts to intercept them.
The conflict has generated an unprecedented amount of operational data on air defense systems, including the US-made Patriot. The author of the article estimated that the accumulated information exceeds the combined experience of Patriot deployments in all previous conflicts.
Russian engineers are also studying launch results and using the collected data to refine the missiles further. These modifications are intended to make interception by Patriot batteries and other missile defense systems more difficult.
A Financial Times investigation published on October 2, 2025, reported that changes to Russian ballistic missile guidance systems had enabled the weapons to alter their trajectory during the final stage of flight.
As they descend, the missiles can depart from their expected course, enter a steep dive or carry out abrupt maneuvers. Such movements interfere with Patriot interceptor guidance and increase the likelihood of penetrating missile defenses.
By the time the October report was published, Russia had used four upgraded Iskander-M missiles. All four reportedly struck their intended targets.
In June 2026, Russia used 5,929 aerial weapons against Ukrainian cities and other targets.