Ukraine stockpiles home-built interceptors to counter Russian ballistic missile threat

Russian TOS-1 Rocket Artillery. Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot.

Russia Launches Major Ballistic Missile Attack on Kyiv

Russia over the weekend launched a wave of ballistic missile attacks, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as "one of the largest Russian ballistic missile attacks to date," directed at Kyiv.

"Kyiv and the Kyiv region were the Russians' primary target. They had been preparing this attack for several days, stockpiling missiles. The threat, of course, remains even now, and this must be taken into account. Russia is placing its wagers on ballistic missiles, and it is because of them that Putin still believes in his war," the Ukrainian leader said in a social media post.

President Zelensky of Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Capt. Michael Terry, 36th Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot, prepares to launch at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, July 9, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Noah Sudolcan)

Zelensky called for further assistance from allies in providing air defense systems.

Casualties and Air Defense Performance

The BBC reported on the casualties:

• Four people were killed in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv
• An elderly woman died in the capital Kyiv
• Two more fatalities in Zaporizhzhia in the south
• One in Sumy in the north-east

The report also cited the Ukrainian military, claiming that air defenses in Kyiv had succeeded in shooting down 18 out of 41 incoming missiles.

Ukraine Strikes Back

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that Ukraine had some success this weekend in retaliating.

"Ukraine said it had hit three Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, and three oil depots in the southern Stavropol region," the report said.

"Precise hits on three Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers were recorded in the Black Sea. I thank every one of our units that is helping to spread the realization within Russia that this war must be brought to an end," Zelensky added in a social media post.

Ukraine also succeeded in launching drone attacks at a pair of warehouses owned by Wildberries, the online retailer seen as Russia's answer to Amazon. According to Russian officials cited by the BBC, eight people were killed and 62 injured in those attacks.

The company's CEO, Tatyana Kim — one of Russia's only female billionaires — said of one of the attacks that "seven people working the night shift died on the spot."

Per Zelensky, the attacks were aimed at "major logistics facilities" which Russia uses to "supply sanctioned components for drone production and navigation equipment."

How to Stop Ballistic Missiles

Ukraine has requested the ability to produce Patriot missiles, with President Donald Trump stating earlier this month that he will grant Ukraine the license to do so.

The New York Times reported that a Ukrainian company called Fire Point is "rolling missiles off assembly lines and stockpiling them with plans to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles." Fire Point produces drones and also a cruise missile known as the Flamingo.

However, the Times noted that "knocking ballistic missiles out of the sky is a much harder task. Experts cautioned that building a missile defense like the U.S.-made Patriot system — the only weapon provided to Ukraine that is proved to regularly intercept ballistic missiles — is extremely complicated."

Fabian Hoffmann, a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies in Oslo, described that type of missile defense to the Times as "the Champions League of missile manufacturing."

"The most challenging type of missile you'll ever build is a missile system meant to intercept high-velocity missiles," Hoffmann added.

The analysis, published before this weekend's attacks, noted that Russia is on pace to set a record for most ballistic missile attacks in a single month.

Help From Greece?

According to Defense Express, which cited the Greek publication Kathimerini, Greece is under pressure from the EU and NATO to transfer some of its Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

"It remains unclear what Athens' stance is on such a plan, but Greece has generally maintained a cautious position. Although it has supplied Ukraine with weapons, including Sea Sparrow missiles for Ukrainian FrankenSAM air defense systems, Athens has often justified its refusal to transfer certain types of weapons by arguing that they are needed for its own defense," the report said.

At the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting earlier this month, nine nations endorsed an effort to...