The Ukrainian television channel Espresso, citing former Deputy Chief of the Ukrainian General Staff Igor Romanenko, reported that the effectiveness of the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system in Ukraine has dropped to just six percent. Earlier assessments placed the system’s success rate in intercepting Russian ballistic missile strikes at around 42 percent.

According to Espresso, the effectiveness of Patriot batteries in destroying modified Russian ballistic missiles has fallen sharply-from 42 percent to only 6 percent. Romanenko attributed the decline to the constant modification and technological improvement of Russian ballistic missiles.

The retired Ukrainian general explained that the upgraded Russian missiles now travel at higher speeds during the terminal phase of flight and perform complex maneuvers, making them much harder for Patriot systems to intercept and destroy.

Earlier, in August, the head of Ukraine’s Radio Technology Center, Sergey Beskrestnov, acknowledged that Ukrainian air defense units have also been losing effectiveness in countering Russian drones. He linked this to advances in Russian unmanned aerial systems and the growing sophistication of electronic warfare technologies, which disrupt detection and targeting mechanisms.