When Russia launches ballistic missiles towards Ukraine, air defence systems often have only minutes – and sometimes just seconds – to detect and intercept the incoming threat.
The limited response time has left Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities increasingly vulnerable to devastating strikes from weapons that descend at extreme speeds and steep angles.
Ukraine says only the US-made Patriot defence system is currently capable of reliably stopping these types of attacks, but it has warned that it has too few batteries and interceptors to protect the country fully.
Why missiles are difficult to intercept
Unlike cruise missiles, which operate more like pilotless aircraft, ballistic missiles are launched into the air like rockets before following a high-speed trajectory back towards their targets.
Their steep descent and speed, often several times faster than sound, drastically reduce the time available for detection and interception.
The difficulty was highlighted again after a recent Russian barrage on Kyiv targeted locations including a brewery, a warehouse and a postal sorting facility. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that at least 17 people were killed and dozens more were injured.
Russia’s ballistic missile arsenal
Thomas Withington, an electronic warfare expert at the Royal United Services Institute, compared the challenge of interception to catching a fast-moving ball.
“When it’s going really fast, it’s harder to catch,” he said, explaining that the speed and steep trajectory of the warheads make defence operations extremely difficult.
Russia’s main ground-launched ballistic missile is the Iskander-M, while the air-launched Kinzhal missile is another example of a high-speed weapon used in attacks.
Russia has also used S-300 and S-400 air defence missiles against ground targets. The Zircon missile, although technically a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, creates similar interception challenges due to its extreme speed.
The challenge of protecting Ukraine
The combination of speed, trajectory and limited warning time makes ballistic missiles among the most difficult weapons to counter.
Ukraine continues to seek additional air defence systems and interceptors from its allies, arguing that greater protection is needed to defend cities and critical infrastructure from Russian strikes.
Also read: Russian strike kills at least 17; Zelensky says interceptors could have saved lives
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