Zelensky: Air Defense Intercepted 60% of Ballistic Missiles in Russian Attack on Kyiv

Ukraine’s air defense intercepted 60% of the ballistic missiles launched during three waves of Russian attacks on Kyiv overnight on September 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the figures. A video of his remarks was published by Novyny.LIVE.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia attacked using Zircon and Iskander missiles, along with various types of strike drones. The main targets were areas in the Kyiv and Odesa regions.

“It is important. We would like to see more missiles intercepted, of course… But it was not 10% or zero – it was 60%. And this year, there have been moments when the figure was zero,” Zelensky said.

The military reported that four Zircon missiles and three Iskander missiles were intercepted. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said that two people were killed and at least eight others were injured as a result of the massive attack on Kyiv.

During his current visit to New York to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed strengthening Ukraine’s defenses against Russian ballistic missiles with Donald Trump.

Ukraine and the United States are also continuing work on launching the production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine and developing a winter air defense package.

In New York, Zelensky also discussed Ukraine’s ballistic missile defense with U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives.

Intercepting Ballistic Missiles

Intercepting ballistic missiles is one of the most difficult tasks for air defense systems because of their high speed, steep flight trajectory, and the very short time between detecting the target and intercepting it.

To counter such missiles, Ukraine primarily uses Patriot air defense systems. However, their effectiveness directly depends on the availability of interceptor missiles.

Ukraine has already received Patriot missiles from its partners this year. In particular, Poland and the Netherlands delivered air defense missiles for these systems in April, while Poland later officially confirmed the transfer of PAC-3 missiles. Spain has also said it will continue supplying missiles.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is contracting around 1,000 Patriot missiles using EU funds, although most of them are expected to be delivered over the coming years.

Ukraine also has an agreement with the United States for monthly deliveries of Patriot missiles. However, Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that the current supply levels are not sufficient.