Kyiv Finding Russian Missiles Difficult to Intercept: Ukraine MoD

Russian missiles  are difficult to intercept by Ukrainain Air defense makes it look as if Moscow is using Ukrainain territory as a 'test range' for its missiles.
"Ukraine, unfortunately, is a kind of test site for Russia," Yuri Ihnat, Spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said during the nationwide news telethon Sunday when asked whether the Russians had previously used missiles they fired today on Kyiv, several Ukrainian news outlets reported.
Some Russian missiles fly close to the ground
"Some missiles are technically complex and cost starting from $5 million. The missiles are routed from the Caspian Sea, and they fly clinging to the ground, which greatly complicates their detection by air defense forces," Ihnat added.
He cited as an example Kalibr sea-launched missiles which are fired mainly from the Black Sea. Strategic bombers Tu-95, Tu-160 launch Russian Kh-type missiles. These cruise missiles fly from the Caspian region.
The spokesman explained that Kh-22 missiles can develop a speed of about 3,000 km per hour. They are launched from TU-22M3 long-range bombers. If earlier Russia launched such missiles from Rostov region, the Black Sea, now it has redeployed these planes to the north. Flying into the airspace of Belarus, an aircraft strikes the northern regions as this missile has a range of 600 km.
At the same time, Ihnat called Iskander and Soviet Tochka-U systems the most destructive ones. The Ukrainian air defense units find these missiles most difficult to be downed.
"There are Iskander operational and tactical systems and the Soviet Tochka-U systems. These missiles fly on a ballistic trajectory at high speed. It is extremely difficult for the Air Force to down such missiles, but there are cases when we shoot them down. It is also difficult to shoot down missiles of Bastion operational and tactical systems which are rather designed to hit naval targets. Their Oniks missile also has a speed of over 3,000 km per hour, it is difficult to shoot it," the spokesman explained.

Russia to Transfer Iskandar-M missiles to Belarus
"Within the next few months, we will transfer to Belarus the Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which can use both ballistic and cruise missiles, and both in both conventional and nuclear versions," Putin said at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg on Saturday.
The flight range of the missiles of the Iskander-M complex was officially called - up to 500 km. It was reported that the missiles of the complex can carry a nuclear warhead. The complex is in service with missile brigades of the Russian Ground Forces. "Iskander-M" replaced the Tochka-U OTRK.