Reports of devastating Russian rocket strikes across Ukraine are now arriving practically every day. The number of blows increases massively, also far away from the front. At least 24 people died in an attack on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia last week. Dozens were injured, many seriously. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke of an “open act of terrorism”. Then Russia attacked the city of Mykolayiv in the south with nine rockets, a day later there were another ten. Died in eastern Ukraine in a rocket attack on a house at least 47 people. Even if the fighting of the ground forces is concentrated in the east and south of the country – war is raging throughout the country.
While Ukraine with the US missile launcher Himars now has a powerful offensive weapon at hand, which is severely affecting the Russian army, the country remains vulnerable to Russian fire. Enemy planes no longer fly outside the combat zone, because Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses have long been too dangerous. But the Russian attackers don’t need to get within range: the rockets at Vinnytsia, for example, were fired over the Black Sea. Ukraine does not have a modern defense system against these missiles, which have a range of several hundred kilometers. The US knows that too.
In the first weeks of the war they were content with stingers-Send rocket launchers to Ukraine. A single soldier can carry this weapon on his shoulder and use it to bring down Russian helicopters and even jets, but only at close range. 1400 stingers delivered to Ukraine alone by the USA. But as early as May, American generals stated in a hearing that weapons like these were no longer enough.
The Ukraine shoots back with “S-300” systems – but they are no longer enough
And the great damage and many deaths caused by rocket attacks do not mean that all Russian missiles hit. For example, in the attack on Vinnytsia, Russia fired five rockets, and Ukraine was able to intercept two. In use is mostly the missile defense system from the Soviet Union of the type S-300. When the war began, Ukraine had about 100 such mobile systems, whose missiles can travel hundreds of kilometers and can also launch cruise missiles. They can also be used as offensive weapons.
Russia announced as early as April, around a fifth of the S-300 destroyed in air raids. Therefore, Slovakia offered the delivery of such systems. In return, she was assured of a modern replacement from Germany. How many defense systems Ukraine has in use today is unclear. Some experts say Kyiv is also gradually running out of ammunition for them S-300.
The hole in the sky over Ukraine remains huge. Already at the beginning of the war, Ukraine demanded a no-fly zone from the West. In fact, this could not be implemented without NATO intervening directly in the war: it would have meant that NATO fighter jets and air defense systems would have shot down every Russian plane over Ukraine. Allianz didn’t want to risk that.
Instead, Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses were reinforced. That worked: today there are no longer any bombers flying over Ukraine outside the combat zone. But the increasing shelling from afar astonishes many military experts. “Russia released far more missiles than we estimated it had,” said former US General Michael Repass.
The Ukrainian government has long been desperately looking for a way to close the skies over the country. Apparently you have in mind a missile defense system based on the example of the defense shield that protects Israel from missiles or mortar shells from the Gaza Strip. “We need the Iron Dome to protect our women and children,” said the Ukrainian ambassador in Israel.
An Iron Dome like in Israel? Russia’s missiles are too modern for that
The missile shield can intercept artillery missiles at a range of up to 70 kilometers. But the Russian missiles are much more modern and powerful than the homemade Hamas missiles. The Russian Iskander about have a range of up to 500 kilometers, the kinshah, a new hypersonic air-to-surface ballistic missile, even from 1800 kilometers. Experts therefore doubted that the Israeli system could offer Ukraine protection against Russia. Israel also reacted reservedly to the Ukrainians’ request. Kyiv has since distanced itself from the idea. Ukraine must develop its own air defense system or get it from its partners, said Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov recently.
The Americans want to strengthen and expand Ukraine’s air defenses against missiles. “It’s a priority” a Pentagon official said in late June. With what, however, remains unclear. The USA have with them patriot itself developed a powerful defense system that is in use in more than a dozen countries. Poland, for example, has just stocked up on it, primarily to protect itself from Russia.
However, it is hardly realistic that Ukraine can also benefit from this. To a single patriotsystem requires around 70 trained soldiers. Ukraine has neither the staff nor the time to train them. And: “There simply aren’t that many patriotsystems,” says former US General Michael Repass. “If we supply one to Ukraine, we will lack one if something happens in another part of the world, in Taiwan, China or North Korea.”
The same problem exists with all other systems, from the German-Italian-American meads about the British Camm-ER to Taiwanese Skybow: They are nowhere to be found in abundance. This even applies to the USA. A Senate committee recently urged the Pentagon to move faster in developing and expanding its intercept system. “Our missile defense is concentrated in Alaska and in the capital Washington. We use it to shield specific targets,” says Repass. “But there aren’t any patriot-Systems on hold that could protect major cities like New York, Boston or Chicago.”
If even the Americans don’t have enough defense systems, what hope does the population of Ukraine have? There are still those for individual important goals S-300the US is also sending two Nasams-Batteries, which while also protecting the White House from drone or plane attacks, are powerless against missiles. All this will never be enough. “The Ukrainians have to choose carefully what they want to defend,” says Repass. And bet that Russia will soon run out of missiles after all. Until then, the Ukrainian civilian population across the country will be at the mercy of Russian rocket terror with almost no protection.