“Russian Army Carries Out Air Strikes on Ukrainian Cities: Anti-Aircraft Defense Systems Help Limit Damage”

The Russian army carried out air and drone strikes on several Ukrainian cities last night, local media report. According to The Kyiv Independent include the cities of Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Odesa and Charkiv taken under fire.

An overall picture of the damage and injuries is not yet available. The Governor of Dnipro, Head Lysak, wrote on Telegram that eight people were injured in his region alone. Several buildings were also hit, including apartment buildings, shops, administrative buildings and a kindergarten.

According to Lysak, the damage was relatively limited thanks to the anti-aircraft artillery largely supplied by the West. According to the governor, fifteen drones and four cruise missiles could be intercepted in mid-air. “Thanks to the defense, we were able to withstand the attack,” said Lysak.

Since modern Western anti-aircraft systems, such as the Patriot, the Iris-T and the Hawk, have arrived in Ukraine, the Ukrainian army says it has become increasingly successful in repelling Russian air attacks.

Ukraine is reported to have even intercepted several Kh-47 Kinzhal cruise missiles this month, according to Putin. That would have happened with Patriots, one of the world’s most advanced anti-aircraft systems, of which Ukraine received two batteries.

Those claims are unfounded de Volkskrant, or other independent media. The US Department of Defense did confirm earlier that Ukraine would indeed have intercepted several Kinzhal missiles.

Read also: US: Ukraine has indeed shot down a hypersonic Kinzhal missile for the first time

Tom Kieft