Why air defenses intercept few ballistic missiles during attacks: Expert issues alarming forecast

Shelling of Ukraine

The low interception rate of ballistic missiles during the Russian attack on the night of January 13 is due to the fact that the enemy deliberately targeted regions not protected by powerful Western air defense systems.

This view was expressed on Radio NV by military analyst Denys Popovych. TSN informs.

According to the expert, the statistics for shooting down enemy targets (28% of ballistic missiles) are directly linked to the geography of air defense deployments. The Russians are well aware of where Ukrainian defenses are strongest and where gaps exist.

"The attacks were not limited to Kyiv and its region, but also targeted other areas not covered by Patriot systems. That is why the interception rate was so low," Popovych said.

He notes that the enemy is deliberately using weapons that are hardest to intercept without specialized systems, resulting in noticeable damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Main objective of the enemy

The analyst says such missile attacks do not directly affect the frontline. The main target is civilians.

"The intention is to impact the civilian population — deprive them of heat, water, electricity," Popovych said.

He added that Moscow’s strategy is to make living conditions unbearable to pressure Ukrainians into pressuring their government.

"The goal is for people to feel these problems, protest in the streets, and push authorities to make concessions in the peace process, accept Russia’s conditions. This is the overall aim," he concluded.

He also noted that similar bombing tactics were used in World War II, but proved ineffective and achieved nothing.

Нагадаємо: Росія вночі атакувала Україну 82 дронами: зафіксовано понад 20 прильотів.