In the early hours of Saturday, Ukraine experienced a significant missile attack from Russia. The attack was particularly damaging as its air defense systems were unable to intercept as many missiles as they normally would. Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 37 missiles and three drones, of which only eight missiles were successfully intercepted.
A deficit of air defense missiles was highlighted by the air force’s spokesperson earlier in the week, and it was unclear whether this contributed to the low success rate in downing the missiles. The types of missiles used were described as fast-moving ballistic types, making them especially difficult to shoot down.
The air force mentioned that more than 20 of the weapons that weren’t counted in the downed category were neutralized due to active electronic warfare countermeasures. The specific targets of the strike were not revealed, but local officials confirmed that Russian missiles were intercepted in at least five regions across Ukraine.
Dnipro, the largest city in the southeastern region, was one of the areas struck. The local governor did not provide details on what was hit. Additionally, in the northern region of Chernihiv, police shared an image of a large crater from a downed missile. The debris from the missile damaged several buildings, but fortunately, no people were hurt.