Ukrainians need additional air defense systems and more munitions for their existing ones.
Russia continues to unleash large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukraine, resulting in dozens of civilian casualties.
On the night of September 27-28, Russia launched a massive missile and suicide drone attack against Ukraine.
12 Hours of Terror
For over 12 hours, Ukrainian air defense sirens sounded across the embattled country as Russian missiles and suicide drones rained from the sky.
This was the third-largest missile and drone strike against Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, with a total of 643 munitions fired against Ukrainian urban centers, critical infrastructure, and military targets.
The Russian attack used a wide range of munitions. The Russian Aerospace Forces fired 38 Kh-101 cruise missiles, eight Kalibr cruise missiles, two Banderol missiles, and two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles for a total of 50 ballistic and cruise missiles. Russian aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and other assets fired the munitions from at least four different directions. In addition to the ballistic and cruise missiles, the Russian military launched approximately 593 Shahed, Gerbera, and other suicide drones from at least eight different directions.
Ukraine’s air defenses worked, shooting down a total of 611 missiles and unmanned aerial systems, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Specifically, the Ukrainian military’s layered air defense umbrella shot down approximately 566 drones, 35 Kh-101 cruise missiles, eight Kalibr cruise missiles, and two drone-launched Banderol missiles.
The munitions that passed through the Ukrainian air defenses struck at least 16 locations across Ukraine, with targets primarily located in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine; Zaporizhia; Khmelnytskyi; Sumy; Mykolaiv; Chernihiv; and Odesa oblasts.
The Russian military and the Russian defense and aerospace industry have faced significant challenges in terms of maintaining an adequate ballistic and cruise missile arsenal. The international sanctions, coupled with a general underperformance, have depleted Russian missile stocks, forcing Moscow to rely increasingly more on drones, as well as barter with pariah countries for help.
The Need for More Air Defense Systems
Although the Ukrainian air defense system managed to shoot down the majority of incoming munitions, the missiles and suicide drones that escaped detection or interception caused significant damage, killing and wounding dozens of civilians, including children. Civilian casualties from Russian missile and drone strikes continue to rise. At the same time, civilians often lose their homes and access to basic goods, such as water, heat, and internet.
“Russian strikes are increasingly and disproportionately impacting civilian areas in Russia’s significantly larger-scale strike packages of recent months and that such strikes underscore Ukraine’s need for continued supply of Western air defense systems, especially US-provided Patriot systems,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest estimate on the conflict in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military primarily relies on MIM-104 Patriot, IRIS-T, and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) air defense systems to deal with the Russian long-range fires threat. Additional weapon systems of less sophistication and with shorter ranges are designed to take out unmanned aerial systems.
Several countries have contributed air defense systems to Ukraine. However, to be more effective against the missile and drone menace, the Ukrainians need additional air defense systems and more munitions for their existing ones.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com
