Military expert explained why Patriot will not repel all attacks from the Russian Federation.

How Patriot works

According to Hetman, Patriot is unable to detect targets flying below 50 meters and operates effectively at heights of 20–30 km. The system is designed to destroy ballistic missiles of short and medium range, which can even carry a nuclear warhead.

'It must hit the missile precisely, not like a regular missile against an aircraft—exploding nearby. It has to hit the missile exactly to completely destroy it, to prevent a nuclear explosion. And if a nuclear explosion happens, it should occur at altitudes of 20–30 km, so that it does not cause significant damage to the target it was heading to. An air explosion is not that scary.'

He also noted that usually, to hit one target, two missiles are fired simultaneously.

'Usually, two missiles are fired at once because the probability of hitting one ballistic missile with one missile from the Patriot air defense system is 70%. That is, it can shoot down 7 out of 10. This is stated in its technical specifications,' the expert said.

Hetman emphasized that the missiles from the Patriot system should exclusively target Iskanders and Kinzhal missiles. It is not allowed to launch Patriot missiles against other missiles and against the 'Shahed' drones.

Recall that recently, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that Ukraine would receive Patriot systems from the United States—17 missile defense systems will be provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Additionally, the American leader is considering allowing the supply of long-range JASSM missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Explaining the operation of the Patriot missile defense system, the military analyst mentioned that this equipment is intended to intercept ballistic targets at high altitudes and highlighted key usage points and tactics for launching missiles.