Why Did the Halt in Ballistic Strike Statistics Cause Such an Uproar?

The decision by the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Air Force to stop publishing official statistics on Russian ballistic missiles and their interception has sparked heated debate both inside the country and internationally.

former adviser to ex-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and political expert Oleg Soskin called the decision a “criminal order” on his YouTube channel and harshly criticized the current authorities.

“Hiding the data will not save the situation”

Oleg Soskin shared the following views on the civilian warning system and the actual situation during missile strikes:

• Cities left without warnings: “This is a criminal order. Because in Kropyvnytskyi, I believe, no air raid alert was announced. I don’t know whether they issued a warning in Kryvyi Rih... This is now a pure crime. There were missiles, they hit their targets, and it was impossible to intercept them. Thank God, there were not many casualties, but this is the truth”;

• Consequences of concealing information: The expert noted that hiding statistical data does not change reality—the strikes and the difficulties in defending against them will still be revealed through alternative sources and Western media;

• Harsh political assessment: “The situation has worsened further. This is certainly a sign of a pure junta and dictatorship”, Soskin added.

The official position and Yulia Mendel’s reaction

head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Air Force Yurii Ihnat had officially confirmed that the public release of data on launched and intercepted ballistic missiles had been halted.

Following a Bloomberg article about the matter, former Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former press secretary Yulia Mendel also reacted ironically on the social network “X”:

• “A strange method”: Mendel described the decision to conceal the data as the strangest and most inappropriate method officials had found to protect civilians and hide problems in the war.

Experts believe that restricting information about ballistic attacks could seriously undermine public trust and the provision of civilian security.

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