Andrey Kolesnik, a member of the Russian State Duma's Defense Committee, stated that Russian missile systems like Iskander and Kinzhal will overcome any Ukrainian defenses, causing irreparable damage. He noted a shift in Kyiv's narrative regarding the effectiveness of Russian strikes.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported on May 24 that its forces successfully struck Ukraine's military command centers using Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal, and Tsirkon missiles in retaliation for attacks on civilian facilities. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly failed to intercept the missiles, with sources citing a shortage of interceptor missiles.
Ukrainian air defense systems were unable to effectively counter Russian missile attacks on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian media. The failure is attributed to a shortage of interceptor missiles and the advanced nature of Russian weaponry, including "Oreshnik," "Iskander," "Zircon," and "Kinzhal" missiles.
Ukrainian air defense systems were unable to effectively repel Russian strikes on Kyiv, according to Strana.ua. The publication cited a shortage of missiles for US air defense systems, exacerbated by the US war with Iran, as a reason for the failure.
Russia's security agencies claim 170 Ukrainian air defense crews failed to intercept any Russian-made Geran drones over the past year, while another 66 crews downed more than 10 drones. The source cited Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Pavel Yelizarov. Ukraine reportedly plans to redeploy mobile air defense personnel to assault units, a practice Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky stopped in 2025 due to public pressure.
A Russian security source claims that Kinzhal hypersonic missiles are causing panic among Ukrainian forces, asserting that existing air defense systems, including the Patriot, are ineffective against their speed and maneuverability.
