Effectiveness of Ukrainian air defense is now 64%  - General Staff

This was reported by the Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov, Interfax reports.

"The effectiveness of our air defense system remains at a fairly high level - 64%, and 81 missiles out of 126 launched were destroyed," Hromov said during the briefing.

The general noted that efficiency of the air defense system of Ukraine has increased significantly after the servicemen gained experience and received new portable anti-aircraft missile systems over the last week.

Hromov also emphasized that the enemy has sharply and significantly increased the use of missiles.

"In particular, since October 10, the enemy has launched 154 missiles on the territory of Ukraine, which is almost 7 times more than in the first decade of the month. In the first decade, 21 rockets were launched," he said.

Air-based cruise missiles became the main type of missile weapons used by the Russians during the past period, and during the previous period, the use of these missiles was not recorded at all, Hromov added.

"The number of missiles used - 83 units - exceeded the number of missiles of these types used during four months: in June, July, August and September. Only 43 missiles were used during that period," the general noted.

Hromov added that almost a third - 29% of the missiles used - were sea-based cruise missiles of the "Kalibr" type, which were also not used during the previous period. Also, the enemy increased the intensity of the use of land-based cruise missiles, using eight missiles, while in the previous period it used only one missile on the territory of Ukraine.

"The analysis of the enemy's use of Shahed-136 ‘kamikaze’ drones over the past period also shows a sharp increase in its intensity. Since October 10, the enemy has used 176 unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of Ukraine, which compared to the previous decade is 2.5 times more, " he said.

Hromov noted that out of the whole number of UAVs used by the enemy over the past week, 65 drones were aimed at the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv region.

"Almost half of them - 27 drones - were released from the territory of Belarus," Hromov added.