Why Russia’s ballistic missiles are increasingly getting through Ukrainian defenses

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — When Russia fires a ballistic missile at Ukraine, air-defense systems have only minutes — sometimes seconds — to detect and intercept the deadly threat.

The lack of time has left Kyiv and other cities increasingly exposed to devastating attacks by the missiles that come down so fast and so steeply that Ukraine says only the U.S.-made Patriot defense system can stop them. But Ukraine says it has too few batteries and interceptors to protect itself.

Unlike cruise missiles, which behave like pilotless planes, ballistic missiles are launched like rockets and then dive steeply toward their targets at several times the speed of sound.

That sharply reduces the time available to find and destroy a warhead.

When the warhead is hurled toward its target, “it’s very, very steep and it’s going at a ridiculous speed,” said Thomas Withington, an expert on electronic warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, who compared the physics to playing catch. If the ball is “going really fast, it’s harder to catch.”

Russia’s ground-launched Iskander-M missile is the Kremlin’s main ballistic missile. Another example is the air-launched Kinzhal missile. Russia has also fired S-300 and S-400 air-defense missiles at ground targets. A model known as the Zircon is technically a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, but its high speed resembles that of a ballistic missile and creates a similar interception problem.

Here's a look at the challenge of shielding Ukraine from some of Russia's deadliest projectiles.

The most capable Patriot system supplied to Ukraine is designed for high-speed missile defense. Instead of exploding near a target, the PAC-3 system uses a maneuverable interceptor designed to collide with an incoming warhead. The Patriot technology must track the missile, predict its path and launch within minutes, sometimes leaving seconds for the final engagement.

Patriots are currently the only system in Ukrainian service able to intercept the Russian Iskander-M, S-400 and Zircon missiles, according to Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. The United States and its allies operate other anti-ballistic systems, including THAAD and sea-based Aegis defenses, but they have not been provided to Ukraine.

Even Patriot protection is not guaranteed. When a Patriot battery is absent, out of position or short of missiles, most other Ukrainian defenses cannot substitute for it.

Ukraine has too few batteries to shield every city. Russia combines ballistic missiles with cruise missiles, drones and decoys, forcing defenders to track many threats and ration scarce interceptors.

The interceptor shortage has become more acute as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has consumed large numbers of Patriot and THAAD interceptors. An analysis by The Associated Press estimated that the U.S. Patriot inventory had fallen by at least 65% from its prewar level, while the Pentagon said it retained a deep arsenal.

Production cannot immediately close the gap. Lockheed Martin delivered more than 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptors in 2025 and is working toward annual capacity of 2,000 by the end of 2030. NATO says Europe’s first Patriot missile production facility is expected to open in September in Germany.

Political signals from Washington have also shifted. At a NATO summit in Turkey in July, President Donald Trump said the United States would give Ukraine a license to produce Patriots. About three weeks later, he said he had not made a final decision. Even with a license, officials and experts told AP that starting production in Ukraine would take years.

Ukraine is also trying to destroy Russian missile launchers and infrastructure before missiles can be fired — shooting the archer instead of the arrow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Trump to help secure Elon Musk’s permission for Ukrainian forces to use Starlink communications for targeting inside Russia, where Musk has restricted the service, according to someone familiar with the matter. Zelenskyy also told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that he wanted Starlink to help with targeting inside Russia, according to a person in the room. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive private discussions.

Such access could help Ukrainian drones hunt launchers and related infrastructure, reducing the number of missiles Patriot batteries must face.

Kyiv is also developing Freya, a proposed Ukrainian-led, lower-cost anti-ballistic system intended to reduce dependence on Patriots. Ukraine and nine European countries formed a coalition in July to pursue a shared missile-defense capability, with Zelenskyy saying they could jointly develop a mass-produced system within 12 months. Freya remains under development, and it is unclear when it could become operational.

Following a Russian ballistic attack on Kyiv earlier this month, Zelenskyy said Ukraine received only one-third as many air-defense missiles in the first half of 2026 as in the same period last year. He said Ukraine's partners that are unwilling to increase interceptor deliveries immediately should instead impose new sanctions, noting that a significant share of Russia’s ballistic missile production has been untouched by sanctions.

Associated Press Writer Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

A police officer examines a damaged Nova Poshta postal warehouse after Russian missiles strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire in a residential building following a Russian air attack in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Firefighters put out a fire after Russian missiles hit a warehouse in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)

Firefighters put out a fire after Russian missiles hit a warehouse in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)

Firefighters put out a fire after Russian missiles hit a food warehouse near Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Matas Vokietaitis had 26 points and nine rebounds to help No. 7 Texas beat Grambling State 93-62 on Monday night.

Vokietaitis, a 7-foot junior, shot 8 for 12 from the field and made 10 of 12 free throws in 23 minutes. He leads the Longhorns (3-0) in scoring at 21.3 points per game.

Joe Sterling added 13 points and Marcus Spears Jr. had 12, both off the bench. Elyjah Freeman provided 11 points and six rebounds, and David Punch finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Vokietaitis was the only Longhorns player with more than seven field-goal attempts.

Texas, driving and posting up inside, outscored Grambling State 46-18 in the paint. The Longhorns had a 14-0 edge in fast-break points.

Mekhi Fitts led Grambling State (1-1) with 13 points, and Antoine Shannon had 12.

Sterling picked up three fouls in six first-half minutes. But he was productive during that stretch, scoring all 13 of his points and adding three assists and two steals. He went 3 of 4 on 3-pointers.

Another freshman, Bo Ogden, was 2 of 3 from long distance as the Longhorns finished the half at 6 for 12 and with a 55-27 lead.

Grambling was much less efficient on 3s, missing 12 of 17 in the half. Isaiah Miranda, a 7-foot-2 senior, played primarily on the perimeter and missed all six of his 3-point attempts after going 4 of 5 while scoring 29 points in the Tigers' 89-87 win against Northern Illinois a week earlier.

Miranda also had difficulty on defense, picking up three fouls in the first three minutes — two while guarding Vokietaitis inside. The foul trouble restricted Miranda to nine minutes in the half. He finished with eight points in 23 minutes.

Grambling State visits No. 24 Kentucky next Monday.

Texas faces Baylor on Sunday in San Antonio.

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full men’s basketball coverage here

Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) scores between Grambling State guard Antonio Shannon (0) and forward Isaiah Miranda (14) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Austin, Texas, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)