Ihnat: Ukraine cannot be fully covered by air defense systems
Covering all of Ukraine with an impenetrable air defense shield is nearly impossible, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Sept. 7.
Speaking on national television, Ihnat explained that no country in the world has the capability to fully cover such a vast territory with air defense systems.
“We cannot cover such a huge country with a seamless air defense shield. That is hardly possible. No country in the world can do that,” Ihnat said.
Each system has its own engagement range, he noted. Drone interceptors can cover about 10–20 kilometers, Patriot missile systems about 150 kilometers, and NASAMS or IRIS-T up to 40 kilometers.
“Looking at the map of Ukraine, it’s hard to imagine complete coverage,” Ihnat added.
Ukraine is, however, expanding its drone-based air defense, which provides a relatively low-cost way to shoot down enemy UAVs. Even so, Ihnat cautioned, it cannot cover the entire country.
“Specific directions and certain critical facilities can be defended with these systems,” he said.
His comments came after Russia launched another massive combined attack overnight into Sept. 7, using drones and ground-based missiles. Ukrainian radar units tracked 823 aerial weapons during the assault.
By 9:30 a.m., air defense had intercepted or suppressed 751 targets, while nine missiles and 54 attack drones struck 33 locations across the country. Debris from downed drones and missiles was reported at eight additional sites, the Air Force said.
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