Back
Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
This winter may be difficult for Ukrainians. Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles, and a shortage of interceptors for Patriot creates a situation where every air defense missile could be critically important.
Member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, Serhiy Rahmanin, told 24 Channel how many ballistic missiles Russia can produce and receive each month, why the occupiers are partially stockpiling them now, and why Ukraine will need to clearly prioritize targets for protection this winter.
Why did Russia reduce the number of ballistic strikes?
Rahmanin stressed that the lull in ballistic usage is connected to the fact that the enemy is actively using maneuverable Shahed drones, which are harder to shoot down than the usual gasoline-powered versions. If the Armed Forces find an effective way to counter the unmanned missiles, the Russians will return to mass use of ballistic weapons.
But in any case, I think that when we talk about Iskander, about the KN-23 and missiles for S-300, S-400, then about the figure in 100 we can speak (monthly – 24 Channel). So recently the number of ballistic missile strikes has indeed somewhat decreased. There are grounds to believe that they are stockpiling some portion,
— noted Rahmanin.
Why is there a critical shortage of PAC-3 missiles in Ukraine?
At the same time, the situation with air defense means remains extremely tense in Ukraine. Serhiy Rahmanin admitted that there are now very serious problems with supply of PAC-3 missiles, capable of effectively destroying ballistic targets.
To say that we are stockpiling it would be an overstatement. We are receiving PAC-2. This has been publicly stated, but unfortunately, although theoretically it should intercept ballistic missiles, the military openly admit that the interception rate is at a minimum,
— emphasized the deputy.
To solve this problem, Ukraine is trying to persuade European partners, in particular Greece, Spain, Germany and Poland, to transfer PAC-3 missiles from warehouses where their shelf life is expiring.
Meanwhile, new missiles ordered under contracts for 2027 – 2030 years offer to deliver to partners as compensation. In addition, Ukraine is counting on receiving the updated Italian-French SAMP/T system, which has higher chances of hitting ballistic targets, as well as improving the tactics of using PAC-2 and developing electronic warfare capabilities.
How can Ukraine defend objects in winter?
A member of the specialized committee emphasized that under conditions of a deficit of anti-ballistic missiles, Ukraine will have to resort to strict prioritization of objects to defend in winter. It will not be possible to protect everything even with missiles.
There will be no miracles. Therefore, everything that can be protected should be protected as much as possible: physically, with EW means. Objects that can be relocated, moved, camouflaged, and protected as far from the border as possible should be done. Everything that can be dispersed should be dispersed,
— summarized Serhiy Rahmanin.
Recall that the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, Mathew Williams, noted that demand for PAC-3 interceptors worldwide significantly exceeds supply due to limited manufacturing capacity. According to him, a substantial improvement in supply is expected in about two years, when new joint production lines in Europe begin operation.
And President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that for effective protection against Russian ballistic missiles in winter Ukraine needs up to 120 interceptors per month.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Росія накопичує балістику на зиму: Рахманін розповів, чи має Україна PAC-3 та до чого готуватися". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
