As the Russian army struggles to advance in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is increasingly relying on ballistic missiles to maintain the momentum of his faltering invasion. While Ukraine’s air defenses have dramatically improved since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, the only platform in Kyiv’s arsenal that is capable of consistently intercepting ballistic missiles is the US-made Patriot system. However, due to limited US production and growing demand for interceptors in the Middle East, there is simply not enough ammunition available to protect Ukraine’s cities and civilian infrastructure.
Putin is now taking full advantage of this shortage. On 19 July, Russia launched 41 ballistic missiles at Kyiv in one of the largest barrages of the war. This was part of a pattern that has seen a sharp rise in Russia’s use of ballistic missiles against Ukraine during the past two months. The recent spate of ballistic strikes has left hundreds of Ukrainian civilians dead and injured, underlining the scale of the threat posed by this latest phase in the air war.
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