'The damage is enormous': Ukraine grapples with record-breaking Russian missile strikes

Key Points:

• In July, Russia launched a record 381 missiles into Ukraine, averaging over 12 per day, marking the highest wartime rate and scale of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, with missiles comprising a growing share of combined drone and missile attacks.
• Ukraine's air force reported a 58% failure rate for Russian missiles overall in July, but only about 28% for ballistic missiles, highlighting Kyiv's ongoing struggle to intercept fast, difficult-to-shoot-down ballistic threats despite efforts to strengthen air defenses.
• Ukraine relies heavily on the U.S.-made Patriot missile system for defense, but shortages of interceptor missiles and delayed aid, including uncertainty over a license to produce Patriots domestically, have strained Kyiv's ability to counter Russian missile attacks effectively.
• The human cost of the missile strikes is severe, with dozens killed and hundreds injured in July alone, while cities like Kyiv and Kherson face constant shelling, causing extensive physical destruction and psychological trauma among civilians.
• Analysts warn that Russia may be pushing its missile stockpiles to unsustainable levels, as indicated by the use of newly produced and foreign ballistic missiles, but Moscow continues to adapt tactics, making interception efforts challenging and prolonging the conflict's deadly impact.