Ukraine discloses for the first time real missile interception rates against the various kinds of Russian missiles

By bne IntelliNews August 24, 2024

For the first time, Ukraine’s armed forces has disclosed the real missile interception rates, moving beyond its standard claim of 'all intercepted'. 

The average success rate of downing Russian missiles stands at 43%, military commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said, reported Ukrayinska Pravda on August 23. 

Syrskyi said that from February 24, 2022, Russian missiles and drones had struck 11,879 targets in Ukraine and went on to list the effectiveness of Ukraine’s defences against the various types of Russian missile.

Russian Strikes (February 24, 2022, onwards:

Total Targets Struck: 11,879
Civilian Targets: 6,203 (53% of total strikes)
Military Targets: 5,676

  • Missiles and Drones:
    • Total Missiles Launched: 9,590
      • Missiles Intercepted: 2,429 (25%)
    • Total Drones Launched: 13,997
      • Drones Intercepted: 5,972 (43%)
  • Cruise Missiles (Kalibr, Kh-555/101, R-500, Iskander):
    • Interception Rate: 67%
    • Targeted mostly strategic locations.
  • Guided Missiles (Kh-59, Kh-35, Kh-31):
    • Interception Rate: 22%
    • Often launched at frontline or border targets with less air defence.
  • Drones (Shahed-136, Lancet):
    • Launched: 13,315
    • Intercepted: 8,836 (63%)
  • Ballistic Missiles (Iskander, Tochka-U, KN-23):
    • Launched: 1,388
    • Interception Rate: 4.5%
    • Significant threat, particularly to civilian infrastructure.
  • Anti-Aircraft Missiles Modified to Hit Ground Targets (S-300, S-400):
    • Launched: 3,008
    • Interception Rate: 0.63%
    • Targeted 4,293 objects, primarily civilian (3,196) but also military (1,097).
  • Kh-22 and Kh-32 Missiles:
    • Launched: 362
    • Intercepted: 2 (0.55%)
    • Launched from Tu-22M3 bombers; require modern interception systems.
  • "Onyx" Missile:
    • Launched: 211
    • Intercepted: 12 (5.7%)
    • High-speed missile posing significant risk to both civilian and military targets.
  • Hypersonic Weapons (Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal"):
    • Launched: 111
    • Intercepted: 28 (25%)
    • Mainly targeted civilian infrastructure.
  • "Zircon" Missile:
    • Launched: 6
    • Intercepted: 2
    • Struck civilian targets four times, showcasing the difficulty in intercepting hypersonic weapons.

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