Ukraine's missile interception rate drops from 90% to 70%, expert says
At least 10 civilians, including children, were killed in Russia's overnight missile and drone barrage. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted 55 missiles and 265 drones, but an expert says the interception rate has fallen sharply.
Russia's overnight attack on Ukraine, carried out with ballistic missiles and drones, killed at least 10 civilians, including children. Ukraine's air force reported that its defenses managed to shoot down 55 missiles and 265 drones in total. However, the military has struggled to intercept advanced ballistic missiles, which Russia has been using more frequently in recent months.
Patrick Bury, a former British Army captain and now Senior Associate Professor in Warfare and Counter-terrorism at the University of Bath, told FRANCE 24 that the overall interception rate for Russian missiles has dropped significantly. Speaking to FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, he said the rate had probably been around 90% in March and has now fallen to 70–75%, and sometimes even lower.
Bury's comments come as Ukrainian air defenses face increasingly sophisticated threats. The growing use of ballistic missiles appears to be putting additional pressure on the country's air defense systems, and the percentage of downed missiles is decreasing, leaving room for concern about the effectiveness of current air defenses.
