Gaps in Ukraine’s shield widen as Russia unleashes ballistic missiles

Russia’s missile strikes against Ukraine have intensified by exploiting Kyiv’s limited ballistic-missile interceptors, allowing Iskander- and KN-23-type missiles to slip past defenses while Ukraine pleads for more Patriot interceptors and co-production with the United States. The threat is compounded by the repurposing of S-400 missiles, a dwindling Patriot stock, and reports of North Korea-supplied missiles, signaling a broader, triple-threat mix of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones that increasingly endanger Ukrainian cities as Kyiv considers “Plan B” and “Plan C.”