"It Will Fly Much Better"
- 15.07.2026, 15:53
A Ukrainian military official explained why ballistic missile strikes would be devastating for Russia.
Denis Shtilerman, chief designer at FirePoint, reported that Ukraine will likely begin testing its own ballistic missiles on Russian territory as early as this fall. For the aggressor country, such strikes will be very painful for a number of reasons.
This was “Channel 24” by Lieutenant Colonel Taras Berezovets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, head of the International Military Cooperation Department of the Operational-Tactical Forces Command , noting that Russian air defense systems do not meet the standards of Ukrainian air defense. In addition, Ukraine is systematically destroying Russian systems.
Why would ballistic missile strikes be devastating for Russia?
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lieutenant colonel explained that since the start of the full-scale invasion, the enemy’s main advantage has been its capability for a self-sufficient, closed-loop production cycle of cruise and ballistic missiles, inherited from the Soviet Union.
Ukraine also had its own capabilities to produce these missiles, but for well-known historical reasons, it lost them; furthermore, until 2022—and even until 2014—the Ukrainian Armed Forces had no need for them. Moreover, certain aspects of development depended on Moscow.
Berezovets also noted that Ukraine’s “Dnipropetrovsk School” is very strong, but many instructors have either passed away, are now retired, or have moved to other countries, particularly Russia. At the same time, those who remain are high-level specialists, but they need to learn new things. It is precisely this opportunity that has now arisen—Ukrainian manufacturers, companies, and private businesses have begun taking steps to develop Ukraine’s ballistic weapons program.
“Now, as the President of Ukraine asserts, and as some ballistic weapons designers say, we have an opportunity—and we are no longer just close to this goal, but we already have finished prototypes that will be tested and will fly over Russian territory,” “This is a necessary step because ballistic missiles are extremely difficult to shoot down compared to cruise missiles,” he said.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lieutenant colonel emphasized that the Ukrainian Air Force—specifically, the air defense units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces—is far more professional than that of the enemy. During the first month of the full-scale war, Ukraine had neither Patriot nor NASAMS systems, so it was forced to make do with what remained of its Soviet legacy.
Now, however, Ukraine’s air defense is far more effective than Russia’s. This is acknowledged, in particular, by Western partners.
“Therefore, given Russia’s size and its limited resources, as soon as Ukraine acquires a sufficient number of ballistic weapons, we will deliver far more devastating strikes against Russian territory than the Russians do,” In other words, Ukrainian ballistic missiles will reach their targets far more effectively than Russian ones do against us,” Berezovets concluded.