Why Ukraine's Patriot missile systems can't cope with Russia's old, iron bombs

Russia's air-dropped bombs are a major threat to Ukraine's soldiers and civilians, said military experts.

The heavy airplane bombs are "particularly vexing" for air defense systems built to strike lighter targets.

Modified "glider" bombs have been fitted with GPS systems.

Russia's Soviet-era airplane bombs present a lethal challenge to Ukraine because they are difficult to intercept even using the most advanced air defense systems, military experts say.

Oleksiy Melnyk, from the Kyiv-based think tank Razumkov Center, said that combatting air-dropped bombs was "particularly vexing" for Ukraine.

Hi-tech air defense missiles are designed to strike more lightweight targets and are ill-equipped to counter the bombs' old, heavy iron construction. The bombs' dense build and Russia's ample stocks are a significant problem for Ukraine, he said. The powerful bombs can weigh from 1,100 to 2,200 pounds.

Melnyk told Insider that the "dumb" freefalling bombs are dropped from an aircraft during horizontal flights or with the plane's nose up or down. He said the plane's alignment and "altitude will further define the ballistic trajectory."

The accuracy of such bombing is poor, but...