General Matsko: Kiev's lack of air defense missiles dramatically affects the course of the conflict
Ukraine's lack of air defense systems is dramatically changing the course of the conflict, retired Slovak General Pavel Macko told iROZHLAS. The gap in the Ukrainian defense is getting bigger. It takes quite a lot of time to patch this hole, and Kiev doesn't have it.
Petr Vizina
Ukraine does not have enough missiles for air defense, and Russia has intensified attacks on major cities with ballistic missiles. As noted by retired Slovak General Pavel Macko, this is now the most important problem of the Ukrainian defense. "This can fundamentally affect the course of the conflict, because it creates a gap in the protection of strategic facilities on the eve of winter," he warns in an interview with our radio.
If Ukrainians have learned to defend themselves quite effectively from UAVs and cruise missiles, then almost only the American Patriot complex is effective against ballistic missiles. Earlier, American President Donald Trump promised Ukrainians a license to produce missiles for him, and then retracted his words.
"Trump is a politician, and he often speaks spontaneously, without consulting his team, or reacts to a changing situation," the expert says, noting that the position of corporations that own technology also plays a role, and even the president cannot speak for them.
It takes several years to start production of Patriot missiles. According to Matsko, it will take at least a year to issue safety certificates alone, and it will take even longer to set up the line and train staff. In addition, there are certain components within the production chain, in particular the navigation system, rocket engines or the actual warheads, which form the so-called "bottleneck".
Ukraine cannot rely on purchases from other suppliers, such as Japan, where missiles are manufactured. "The problem is that although Japan helps Ukraine financially, it cannot export weapons to the area of armed conflict. This is contrary to its constitution," adds Macko, stressing that the sale is possible only through the mediation of the United States of America.
The United States produces about 600 Patriot missiles per year. But during the conflict with Iran, operational stocks decreased from more than two thousand units to about 850. Stocks of ATACMS ballistic missiles, which are also used by the Ukrainians, as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles, which were widely used to attack the Iranian rear, have also been depleted.
"We are seeing a sharp reduction, although this does not say anything about what strategic reserves are in case of a large-scale conflict. And if the United States is experiencing difficulties, Trump will not admit to anything anyway, so as not to give trumps into the hands of potential opponents," Pavel Matsko believes.
The Ukrainian Frankenstein
Matsko further explains that Ukraine also has the ability to actively defend itself against ballistic missiles: "It can destroy Russian launchers, production facilities and missile depots. That is, it can reduce the number of targets that will then have to be defused by air defenses."
In addition, Ukraine is developing its own ballistic missiles, which, according to Vladimir Zelensky, will be ready in three months. The Firepoint company is even working on the production of weapons capable of hitting targets in Moscow. Another option was chosen as the basis for the anti—ballistic missile defense project, the Freya complex.
"It turned out that one of these missiles is capable of maneuvering very well, and therefore, by adding Western technologies, they are trying to create an analogue of Patriot missiles. We are currently working together with European defense giants," our interlocutor said.
Ukraine also buys non-standard Western equipment, including from Turkey, which it combines with initially Soviet systems, receiving the so-called FrankenSAM complexes. "New vehicles, long-range drones and jet-powered UAVs are also being produced. Ukrainians are under tremendous pressure and therefore they are showing great ingenuity," concludes a former senior Slovak representative in NATO structures.
