A Russian missile launches Kinzhal and IskanderM captured mid-flight, illustrating Moscow’s evolving tactics to evade Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems (Photo: pinterest)
Moscow's drastic modifications to its missile systems are providing it with significant tactical advantages in Ukraine with fine-tuning missile on the Achilles heel of Ukrainian Patriot air defense systems offered protection through U.S. supplies a pioneering change described by Ukrainian and Western sources as possibly game-changing, according to a recent Financial Times report.
Precision strikes over a few months indicate the changing nature of Russia's missile warfare at present and former sources of intelligence in Ukraine and the West have indicated that Russia has been reengineering its Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air launched weapons to neutralize interception capability.
These missiles now alter their flight path traveling along regular trajectories and then suddenly changing course or plunging very steeply during the terminal phase. Such movements were intended to confuse and then defeat Patriot radar systems, much to the degrading of their performance. This became illuminated in intercept data from Ukraine, where the effectiveness plummeted from a success rate of nearly 37% in August to just 6% by September amidst fewer launches by Russia.
ALSO READ: Will TrumpRx Really Make Medicines Cheaper for Americans?
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is air-launched and nuclear capable and is believed to be modified from the ground launched Iskander-M. It was unveiled by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 reaching targets above 2,000 kilometers away where it poses the greatest challenge to any interceptor and clocking speeds nearing Mach 10 in the terminal phase.
The Iskander system comprises two variants: ballistic (Iskander-M) and cruise (Iskander-K), fired from the same mobile platform. The ballistic system executes a conventional high-arching trajectory while the cruise missile flies at very low altitudes to avoid radar detection.
ALSO READ: Who Is Greta Thunberg and Why Was She Detained on the Gaza Flotilla?
The Russian threat of ballistic missiles, Ukraine's air defenses very heavily rely on Patriot interceptors despite being somewhat ineffective against cruise missiles, these tactics, developed by Moscow have restricted the choices for Kyiv's defense.
Western intelligence sources have confirmed that the sudden dramatic decline in interception success was the first indicator that something had changed. The U.S. intelligence assessment from mid-2024 supported this and stated that Ukraine's Patriot systems have faced difficulties operationally because of this unpredictable trajectory of the missiles.
The onset of winter and delays in supply compromising Ukrainian defense capabilities, Russia's evolving missile strategy may just tilt the balance further on the battlefield front with severe ramifications in the months to come.
ALSO READ: What is GenZ 212? From Discord Servers to Deadly Streets: Morocco’s New Generation of Activists
Disclaimer: This article is based on public reports and expert opinions and does not reflect endorsement of any political or military position.
