Russia has been carrying out record‑breaking combined air attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding areas of the Ukrainian capital in recent nights and days. According to Liias, the Ukrainians have held up surprisingly well despite the extensive attacks.

"About 80 percent of all the attacking weapons have been shot down. Considering that Russia has combined several different types of attack weapons – conventional drones, jet‑powered drones, ballistic missiles and anti‑ship missiles – this has put Ukraine's entire air defense capability and the whole spectrum, from machine guns to Patriot missiles and fighter jets, to the test," Liias told "Ukraina stuudio".

Since 80 percent of the attacking weapons have been shot down, it is also not entirely clear what Russia was attempting to strike, Liias noted.

"Based on what has been hit, it can be said that they are still trying to affect or destroy Ukraine's heating plants, power plants and water infrastructure. Logistics companies and retail have now been added, and there is also no escaping Russia's brutality – schools and hospitals have been targeted as well," he said.

Russia's jet‑propelled drones are causing problems for the Ukrainians, however. "At the moment, the Geran‑4 and 5 are still in use, and the newest is the Banderol S8000, which is no longer classified as a drone but as a drone missile. They move considerably faster, about three times as fast, at speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour. They fly at high altitude and can reach even 700 kilometers per hour when descending," Liias said.

This means that Ukraine's mobile air defense teams are unable to shoot down these drone missiles with machine guns and anti‑aircraft guns.

"And therefore Ukraine has to use air defense missiles to shoot them down or hope that when they dive, there is that brief window during which air defense teams can hit them with cheaper means – guns and machine guns," Liias continued.

However, this does not mean that the Ukrainians are incapable of finding a solution to the problem, he added. "If we look at the course of the fighting and the development of the war, technology turns things on their head about once a year – every measure has a countermeasure. I simply do not know at the moment what countermeasure the Ukrainians could use. Right now, air defense missiles and fighter jets are what are mostly being used to shoot them [drone missiles] down," Liias said.

What is important is that Ukraine is now once again able to use U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles. The Ukrainians naturally do not disclose how many they have. "However their addition is extremely important, because this is one of the few, almost the only means Ukraine has that can intercept a ballistic missile. A [Russian ballistic missile] Iskander races into the upper atmosphere and then dives straight down from there, practically falling vertically, and disrupting it with electronic warfare does not produce the same result. Therefore, it is extremely important that the United States continue supplying Patriot missiles," Liias said.

The situation remains fluid, but Ukraine's ability to intercept the vast majority of Russian attacks suggests its air defense systems are holding.

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