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Russia appears to have upgraded its ballistic missiles used against Ukraine to bypass US-made Patriot air defence systems, according to a report.
The upgrades likely involve Russia’s Iskander-M and Kinzhal missiles, which have ranges of up to 500km and 480km respectively. These missiles follow a standard flight path before suddenly diving steeply, making interception by Patriot systems difficult, Ukrainian and Western officials told the Financial Times.
One former Ukrainian official described it as a “game-changer for Russia”.
Ukraine’s missile interception rate has dropped sharply in recent months, from 37 per cent in August to just 6 per cent in September, the FT reported, citing Ukrainian Air Force data.
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Russia targeted at least four drone manufacturing sites near Kyiv earlier this year, causing major damage, according to the officials.
One of those targets was a facility producing Turkish Bayraktar drones that was hit on 28 August. During this strike, Russian missiles evaded air defences and also damaged nearby offices of the EU delegation and British Council.
A report by the US Defence Intelligence Agency’s special inspector general, covering the period between 1 April and 30 June, states that the Ukrainian armed forces has “struggled to consistently use Patriot air defence systems to protect against Russian ballistic missiles due to recent Russian tactical improvements, including enhancements that enable their missiles to change trajectory and perform manoeuvres rather than flying in a traditional ballistic trajectory.”
The Patriot air defence systems are the only ones in Kyiv’s arsenal capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, according to the FT. They are a vital element of Ukraine’s layered defences, which have sought to shield cities, including the capital, Kyiv, from large-scale strikes.
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It follows reports that the US is set to provide Ukraine with intelligence to carry out long-range strikes against energy infrastructure targets inside Russia.
Washington is also weighing whether to send missiles to Kyiv that could be used in such strikes, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters have reported. This includes Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of 2,500km (1,550 miles).
According to US officials cited in the reports, approval on additional intelligence came shortly before US President Donald Trump posted on social media last week suggesting Ukraine could retake all its land occupied by Russia, in a striking shift in Kyiv’s favour.
The move would make it easier for Ukraine to hit infrastructure such as refineries, pipelines and power plants with the aim of depriving the Kremlin of revenue and oil.
The US and Ukraine have not publicly commented on the reports, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the US and Nato were already supplying intelligence to Ukraine “on a regular basis”.
“The supply and use of the entire infrastructure of Nato and the United States to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious,” he said on Thursday.
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