Unlike cruise missiles, which behave like pilotless planes, ballistic missiles are launched like rockets and then dive steeply toward their targets at several times the speed of sound. Russia’s ground-launched Iskander-M missile is the Kremlin’s main ballistic missile. Patriot system offers some protectionThe most capable Patriot system supplied to Ukraine is designed for high-speed missile defense. Russia combines ballistic missiles with cruise missiles, drones and decoys, forcing defenders to track many threats and ration scarce interceptors. Such access could help Ukrainian drones hunt launchers and related infrastructure, reducing the number of missiles Patriot batteries must face.