Missile explosion seen over Kyiv, Ukraine
2023.05.18 Thu posted at 13:05 JST
(CNN) US officials say the Russian military is using more ammunition than usual to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses and cause chaos.
Russian forces are carrying out larger airstrikes from different directions at once, targeting command and control centers in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other key locations, according to officials familiar with the matter. .
Russia may have launched a larger offensive to delay a counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces. However, the Ukrainian side has withstood attacks from Russia and has a high probability of intercepting missiles and drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) using air defense systems provided by Western countries.
Officials say Russia has limited supplies of precision-strike munitions, so a wider strike could even work in favor of Ukraine.
According to a senior Ukrainian military official, Russia launched a barrage of hypersonic missiles “Kinzhal” launched from aircraft, cruise missiles “Kaliber” launched from the Black Sea, and short-range ballistic missiles “Iskander” launched from the ground on the 16th. rice field. Attacks were made from the north, south and east. The attack may have damaged the US Patriot surface-to-air missile system.
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2023-05-18 04:05:00