A recent article by military analyst David Axe in Forbes highlights the challenges faced by Ukrainian air defense systems in countering Russian bombers equipped with X22/32 missiles.
According to Axe, Ukraine only has one anti-aircraft missile system that theoretically has the capability to strike Russian missile carriers. This system is the outdated Soviet-era S-200 complex. However, even this system, according to the analyst, is not always effective.
The problem for Ukrainian air defense commanders, as stated in the article, is that all Russian bombers launch cruise missiles with a range that can exceed 321 kilometers. For instance, the standard Tu-22M3 strike missile X-22/32 has a range of over 804 kilometers.
Axe points out that the S-200 systems can only engage targets within a range of up to 300 kilometers, which is 160 kilometers more than the range of the Patriot PAC-2 surface-to-air missiles.
Previously, retired Colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk, a military expert, stated that the Ukrainian army has not yet been able to shoot down the Russian X-22 missile, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ air defense system is intentionally overloaded before its launch.
On December 29, it was reported that Ukraine had been hit by a massive air strike targeting industrial and military facilities.
On the same day, authorities in Kyiv revealed the extent of the damage caused by the strike.
Earlier, President Zelensky had stated the challenges that prevent Ukraine from shifting the conflict into Russian territory.
