Ukraine's air defense system appears to have missed all Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles in a recent coordinated strike, even as officials reported successfully intercepting 580 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 30 other Russian missiles.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command stated Russia deployed 619 suicide and decoy UAVs, 12 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, modified S-400 air defense missiles, one ground-launched Iskander-K cruise missile, 29 Kh-101 cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers, and five Kalibr naval munitions in a coordinated early morning attack. Air defense units reportedly shot down or jammed 580 UAVs, 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and four Kalibr munitions. However, 13 missiles and 36 UAVs struck 23 locations, with debris falling in 9 areas. Information on the remaining four missiles is unavailable.

This implies that all Iskander-M and modified S-400 ballistic missiles, as well as some Kh-101, Kalibr, and Iskander-K missiles, evaded Ukrainian defenses.

Fires erupt in Dnipro, Ukraine, after the 25/4 strike. Video: X/AMK Mapping

The primary target area for Russia's attack was along the Dnieper river, with additional strikes hitting Kyiv, Kharkov, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Odessa provinces. Six people were injured in the attacks, including two in Dnipro city, Dnipropetrovsk province, two in Kherson city, and two in Kharkov province. No fatalities have been reported.

AMK Mapping, an X account monitoring open-source intelligence on the Ukraine conflict, estimates that Ukrainian air defense shot down at least 23 cruise missiles. However, the account noted that "most or all ballistic missiles hit their targets." The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on these reports.

This attack occurred three days after President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concerns about Ukraine's Patriot missile shortage, exacerbated by the Middle East conflict. According to Zelensky, Ukraine receives a limited supply of weapons due to restricted US production capacity, despite an uninterrupted flow of aid.

Western allies have provided Ukraine with advanced air defense systems, including the powerful Patriot and SAMP/T systems. Ukrainian Patriot systems are equipped with modern US-made PAC-3 MSE missiles, each costing an average of 4 million USD and capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at a range of 60 km.

Flight paths of Russian missiles during the 25/4 strike. Graphic: X/AMK Mapping

Ukrainian air defense systems are frequently overwhelmed and face ammunition depletion. Several Patriot systems have been targeted and destroyed. Ukrainian officials acknowledge that Patriot missile consumption significantly outpaces the rate of partner aid, as each battery often fires multiple expensive munitions to down a single Russian Iskander-M missile. In an interview published by German media on 14/4, President Zelensky stated the current situation "couldn't be worse." A Ukrainian Patriot unit commander revealed they now fire only one missile per Russian missile, a departure from the standard two to four missiles per target.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, AP, Reuters)