- Sputnik International, 1920, 25.02.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev's forces.

Ukraine’s Air Defense Is in Shambles — Expert

© AP Photo / Czarek SokolowskiUS Patriot systems seen at a test range in Sochaczew, Poland, on Saturday, March 21, 2015.
US Patriot systems seen at a test range in Sochaczew, Poland, on Saturday, March 21, 2015. - Sputnik International, 1920, 14.08.2026
Subscribe
Due to an acute shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, Ukraine is forced to prioritize and "forgo intercepting targets deemed not critically important," Chinese military expert Qiu Shiqing tells Sputnik.
He points to damning numbers, such as when Ukraine's US-supplied Patriot air defenses failed to intercept a single Russian ballistic missile during the strikes that pummeled transport and logistics centers for the storage of weapons and military cargo on August 1.
In the pundit's opinion, that calculated risk translates into direct hits on Ukraine's power grids, railways, and seaports — systems already running on empty.
Regional blackouts are expanding, infrastructure is buckling, and if the situation continues to worsen, "Ukraine's prospects for the coming winter look bleak," the analyst notes.
Given current Patriot interceptor production rates, and with the US prioritizing the replenishment of its own stockpiles, Ukraine is unlikely to receive enough interceptors from either the US or Europe, the analyst concludes.
Patriot missles are seen at the Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, March 25, 2022, in Jasionka, Poland, as then-US President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One enroute to Warsaw, Poland. - Sputnik International, 1920, 30.07.2026
Analysis
Why NATO's Air Defense Shield in Ukraine Can't Keep Up With Russia's Strike Arsenal
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала