Patriot air defence systems, like other complexes, will not be able to fight with glide bombs. Zelenskyy says it is important to fight with Russian enemy aircraft.
Points of attention
- Air defence systems such as the Patriot are ineffective against guided aerial bombs.
- President Zelenskyy indicates that a solution should be sought in the seizure of Russian airfields where the planes that drop the anti-aircraft missiles are based.
- Volley-fire assets such as ATACMS can help combat Russian aircraft carriers of glide bombs at long range.
- The use of guided aerial bombs by Russia in the front-line territories of Ukraine poses a threat to the civilian population and Ukrainian defenders.
- Protecting Ukraine from anti-terrorist operations is strategically important and requires appropriate solutions and approaches to ensure the country's security.
What weapons are capable of protecting Ukraine from glide bombs
He noted that Russia uses guided aerial bombs throughout eastern Ukraine. In a month, the occupiers release thousands of bombs across Ukraine.
What can be the fight against KABs [glide bombs]? These are air defense systems. But, if we take the cost and number of Patriot missiles and take KABs, then we will never have thousands per month, and we will never have hundreds. Because each missile is about $3 million. The issue here is not only money, they simply do not produce enough of it, - said the president.
According to the head of state, it is necessary to find a solution to attack Russian airfields, where Russian planes are located in defence systems.
Therefore, the Patriot cannot fight with glide bombs, and any defences are unable to. In any case, you will win in the short run, but in the long run, they will beat you. We must look for a long-range solution against the airfields where military aircraft are stationed, which Russia uses for strikes with glide bombs.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
Zelensky emphasized that we are talking not only about the territory of Russia but also about Crimea. This distance is more than 300 kilometres. Therefore, as the president noted, HIMARS missile systems will not help in the fight against anti-aircraft missiles or Russian aircraft.
That is, Biden's decision to give us the opportunity to strike at their accumulation of equipment is positive, but it does not solve the problem of the destruction of our cities and villages. It decides tactical points. Strategic is a strategic weapon. ATACMS, which can strike at 300 kilometers, would probably help us today. I emphasise today. There are airfields where they use UAVs, and as long as their UAVs don't fly long distances, we can hit these airfields. But there are already airfields at a greater distance. Today, we need to be allowed to apply ATACMS deep into the Russian Federation, — Zelenskyy said.
Russia actively uses anti-aircraft mis.siles
The Russians are actively using guided aerial bombs against Ukraine. The occupiers "covered" Mariupol with such bombs during the city's defence in 2022.
Russian aviation is now dropping bombs on Kharkiv and other front-line and border settlements. The invaders also use guided aerial bombs on the front, dropping them on the positions of Ukrainian defenders.
