Russia launched its biggest ballistic missile attack on Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack on Sunday involved 25 ballistic missiles and 10 Zircon hypersonic missiles, marking a significant escalation.
Missile attack details
Ukrainian air force and intelligence officers quickly assessed the scale of the onslaught. These weapons descend from a steep trajectory just outside the atmosphere, making them extremely difficult and expensive to intercept. Without US-made Patriot missiles, which cost around £3 million each, interception is unlikely, and the missiles can cause devastating damage to civilian areas.
Explosions lasted for five hours in Kyiv, leading to fires and damage to civilian infrastructure. At least one person was killed and 20 were wounded.
Ukraine's defensive challenges
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging NATO to speed up distribution of Patriot missiles to defend against the growing threat. The US produces only about 650 Patriots annually, and stocks are pressured by demand from Gulf States and Israel for defense against Iranian missiles. In contrast, Russian manufacturers can produce up to 1,000 ballistic missiles per year, with accelerating production schedules.
Olha Polishchuk, eastern Europe research manager for war monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, said: “More than 1,600 days into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sunday night’s attack was very likely the largest ballistic missile barrage on Kyiv since the beginning of the war.”
Russia's strategic shift
While Kyiv is well protected by air defense and has mastered drone interception, ballistic missiles pose a different challenge. Russia is increasingly relying on ballistic and Zircon missiles to exploit Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptors. The attack targeted populous residential areas to cause terror, rather than strictly military targets.
Polishchuk warned: “Unless Ukraine can secure a steady supply of Patriot missiles, Russia may use the same vulnerability to once again disable and destroy the remaining energy infrastructure that powers and heats Ukraine ahead of the next winter season.”
