Using a missile to shoot down a drone costs seven times more than launching one. Such an imbalance could benefit Russia over time and cost Ukraine and its allies dearly.
The Ukrainian military uses missiles to repel Russian attacks with drones, which are more expensive than the drones themselves. This is stated in the article published on Tuesday, January 3, The New York Times.
It was noted that earlier Ukrainian forces used anti-aircraft installations and small arms to shoot down some drones. However, since the Russians have started attacking at night, they also rely on missiles fired from warplanes and on the ground. Specifically, officials confirmed that Ukraine has repeatedly used surface-to-air missiles, known as NASAMS.
According to experts, Shahed-136 drones are relatively cheap, while the weapon system used to destroy them is more expensive, the newspaper wrote.
It was noted that the head of the Ukrainian consulting company Molfar Artem Starosik calculated that using a missile to shoot down a drone costs seven times more than launching it. Production of Iranian drones can cost $20,000, while the cost of launching one of the surface-to-air missiles used by Ukraine can range from $140,000 for Soviet S-300s to $500,000 for NASAMS.
The publication notes that, according to some analysts, such an imbalance over time could benefit Russia and cost Ukraine and its allies dearly.
It was previously reported that on New Year’s Eve, the air defense shot down all drones flying to Ukraine. 84 drones were launched on Ukrainian cities and villages on New Year’s Day, and all of them were destroyed.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.