Russia ‘using deadly new missile upgrade’ to bypass Ukraine’s Patriot air defence systems
Russia’s new ‘game-changer’ missiles in Ukraine war
- Russia has reportedly upgraded its ballistic missiles, including Iskander-M and Kinzhal, to bypass US-made Patriot air defence systems in Ukraine.
- These missile upgrades, which allow for trajectory changes, have caused Ukraine's missile interception rate to drop significantly from 37 per cent in August to just 6 per cent in September.
- Upgraded Russian missiles, described by one former Ukrainian official as a “game-changer for Russia, have successfully targeted drone manufacturing sites near Kyiv, such as a Turkish Bayraktar facility, evading existing air defences.
- A US Defence Intelligence Agency report confirms that Ukrainian forces are struggling to consistently use Patriot systems against these improved Russian ballistic missiles.
- Separately, the US is reportedly considering providing Ukraine with intelligence and potentially Tomahawk cruise missiles for long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure.