Ukraine failed to intercept even a single Russian ballistic missile on two consecutive occasions.
Le Monde, a French newspaper, pointed out that since May 24, Kyiv has nearly continuously faced attacks from ballistic missiles and new types of drones. Russia has changed its aerial strike tactics against Ukraine, leading to reduced efficiency of Ukraine's air defense systems while significantly increasing the effectiveness of Russian strikes.
At dawn on July 6, Ukraine’s air defense system failed to intercept any of the ballistic missiles launched toward Kyiv for the first time. The same situation occurred again in the morning of July 11—none of the six ballistic missiles were shot down, due to Ukraine's insufficient supply of missiles for the "Patriot" systems.
Moreover, Russia’s new “Glan” drones have posed another serious challenge. According to Yurii Ignaat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, these drones now account for “25% to 30%” of all Russian drones. These drones fly at an altitude of about five kilometers, travel faster than 500 km/h, and have a range of up to 2,000 kilometers. Compared with earlier “Shahed” drones, which move at around 130 km/h, they are much harder to intercept.
In addition, the Russian military has altered its overall attack strategy. Previously, strikes were dispersed; now, the focus is on overwhelming Ukraine’s air defense systems to maximum capacity.
At dawn on July 6, Ukraine was hit by 68 missiles, with 19 fired within the first ten minutes, aiming to quickly deplete air defense missile reserves. Meanwhile, the total number of drones used by Russian forces has also increased significantly.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870462485804042/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.