Sometimes air defence systems stand empty, yet attacks must still be repelled – Ukraine's Air Force

Ukraine is short of missiles for its air defence systems, and there are cases when some of them stand completely empty ahead of another Russian attack.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine

Quote: "We have said this many times, and the Ukrainian president has repeatedly drawn our partners' attention to the fact that sometimes certain systems are left empty, yet the next attack has to be repelled with something."

Details: Ihnat said that another major problem for air defence is the overwhelming number of missiles and drones Russia launches against Ukraine.

Quote: "The enemy simultaneously and intensively attacks a single city or region with a large number of weapons. Sometimes our air defence systems, such as NASAMS or IRIS-T, simply do not have time to reload during such large-scale attacks."

"For example, all these weapons are flying towards Kyiv. And imagine a Patriot system working against ballistic missiles. Its radar is looking in one direction and has to intercept that ballistic missile or missiles, and there may be ten or more of them. Meanwhile, from the other side, cruise missiles and Shahed drones are flying towards it 'from behind'. That is why protecting large cities requires more than one system, and even the Patriots themselves need protection."

Background: President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently made several critical statements about Europe after a lack of funding has led to a shortage of air defence missiles and allowed Russia to strike Kyiv's energy infrastructure.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!