FT: Russia has modernized its ballistic missiles. Now “Kinzhals” and “Iskanders” are more difficult to shoot down with “Patriot” systems

Russia has managed to modernize its “Iskander-M” and “Kinzhal” ballistic missiles to bypass Ukrainian air defenses.

This is reported by the Financial Times, citing sources among Ukrainian and Western officials.

They say that attacks on Ukrainian drone manufacturers this summer indicate that Russia has improved its ballistic missiles to better counter American “Patriot” air defense systems, which are capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.

According to media reports, now Russian ballistic missiles, after launch, first move along a typical trajectory, and then can change course, dive at a high angle, or perform maneuvers that "confuse and bypass “Patriot”.

According to one of the publicationʼs interlocutors, this "changes the rules of the game for Russia".

Ukraineʼs ballistic missile interception rate improved over the summer, reaching 37% in August, but fell to 6% in September, despite fewer launches, the FT notes, citing data from the Ukrainian Air Force.

This summer, at least four drone manufacturing plants in and around Kyiv were seriously damaged by missile strikes.

• Recently, Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the first two packages under the PURL initiative will include missiles for the “Patriot” and “Himars” systems.

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