Ukraine Stops Reporting Russian Missile Interceptions as Air Defense Struggles Intensify

Ukraine has stopped publicly reporting how many missiles Russia fires during major attacks, as Kyiv scrambles to secure more air-defense interceptors from allies amid a sharp increase in Russian missile strikes. The Ukrainian Air Force on Tuesday said that its forces downed 98 of 120 Russian drones launched overnight but did not disclose how many missiles were fired or intercepted, even though Zaporizhzhia, the Dnipropetrovsk region, and Kyiv were targeted by more than a dozen ballistic missiles, including North Korean-made KN-23s, killing nine people.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The change follows a decision days earlier to stop reporting interceptions of Russian ballistic missiles. That came after a major attack last week in which Ukraine was unable to intercept any of 28 ballistic missiles fired at the country. A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the air force changed its reporting format as a security measure in response to Russia’s attacks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. Ukraine is urgently seeking additional air-defense systems and missiles from its Western allies, particularly interceptors for the US-made Patriot system, which remains Ukraine’s most capable defense against Russian ballistic missiles. Demand for air-defense interceptors has surged globally amid the war in the Middle East, making it harder for Kyiv to replenish stocks as Russia intensifies its aerial campaign. Other Topics of Interest Trump Walks Back Promise to Let Ukraine Build Patriots Over Russia Fears Ukraine's plans to produce Patriot missiles face delays as the US weighs technology risks, limited production capacity, and fears of Russian espionage. A Russian missile strike damaged a hospital building and businesses in Kyiv on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X. Zaporizhzhia was also targeted with North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles and Russian Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, he said. Ukraine’s air-defense supplies have already fallen sharply. Zelensky said on Aug. 5 that deliveries of air-defense missiles from allies were three times lower in the first half of 2026 than during the same period last year. Russia eyes bigger ballistic missile salvos Ukraine intercepted just 29 of 195 Russian ballistic missiles launched in July, while another 40 failed to reach their targets, according to Ukrainian Defense Ministry data. Russia is now seeking to nearly triple the number of ballistic missiles it can launch simultaneously against Ukraine, according to Maj. Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces. Russia can currently launch a simultaneous salvo of about 77 ballistic missiles and is seeking to raise that figure to 200, Brovdi said in an interview with The Associated Press. However, he did not provide a timeline for reaching that capability. Brovdi described the potential increase as one of Ukraine’s most vulnerable points as Kyiv runs short of Patriot interceptors – the only air-defense missiles in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of reliably intercepting ballistic missiles. “Even if they only manage half of that, it will all be flying at us,” Brovdi said. He said the only way to reduce Russia’s ability to launch such large salvos would be to strike the facilities involved in missile production. Russia’s growing ability to penetrate Ukrainian air defenses has become a central concern as Moscow adapts its strike campaign. “Russian forces are reprioritizing the production of their long-range strike systems to those that can more reliably penetrate Ukrainian air defenses,” the US-based Institute for the Study of War said on Tuesday. The Kremlin appears to believe that Ukraine’s shortage of interceptor missiles can be exploited to sustain its attacks and avoid making meaningful concessions in negotiations, the institute said. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments. With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team.