Russia's Tu-95MS strategic bomber carries long-range cruise missiles (Photo: Aviation week).
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that on the night of January 12 and early morning of January 1, air strike warnings were issued in many areas across the country when Russia conducted a large-scale missile strike.
Ukraine claimed Russia deployed 40 missiles and drones to attack targets.
Specifically, Ukraine said Russia launched 7 S-300/S-400 guided air defense missiles, 3 Shahed-136/131 attack drones, 6 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles launched from 6 aircraft. MiG-31K combat, 12 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles launched from 11 Tu-95MS strategic bombers, 6 Kh-22 cruise missiles launched from Tu bombers -22M3, 6 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 2 Kh-31P guided missiles launched from 2 Su-35 fighter aircraft, 4 Kh-59 guided missiles from two Su-34 aircraft.
“There is a threat of a missile attack in areas where air strike warnings have been issued! Launches of cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft have been detected. Please seek shelter!”, the Ukrainian Air Force announced.
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed shooting down 7 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles and one Kh-59 guided missile.
One of the notable weapons launched by Russia in this raid on Ukraine is the Kinzhal missile. Kinzhal missiles are part of an arsenal that Russia claims are impossible to intercept thanks to their speed.
Nearly all of Ukraine's provinces were on alert, as Russian warplanes launched missiles toward Ukrainian cities. According to local officials, Ukrainian air defense forces shot down Russian missiles in at least five areas across Ukraine.
Chernihiv regional police posted a photo showing a large crater created by rocket debris. "Due to being hit by enemy missile fragments, several buildings were damaged and one building was almost destroyed," Ukrainian police confirmed.
Explosions were heard at 5 a.m. in the city of Dnipro in Dnipropetrovsk province and around 7 a.m. in Kropyvnytskyi in Kirovohrad province.
In Dnipropetrovsk, Governor Serhii Lysak announced that "two enemy missiles are now just piles of scrap metal" after being shot down in the Kryvyi Rih district.
In central Ukraine, a missile was shot down over the Kremenchuk region in Poltava, damaging a building but no casualties were reported.
In Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine, local authorities said a missile was shot down in the area and that, according to current information, “critical infrastructure and civilians were not affected.”
In Lviv, the air strike warning lasted from about 6:30 a.m. to about 8:25 a.m. and "several times the missiles came dangerously close to Lviv," according to Governor Maksym Kozytsky.
Due to air defense forces in western Ukraine, "the missile was not able to penetrate the airspace of Lviv province," Governor Kozytsky said.
There is currently no specific information about damage to civilian infrastructure or casualties in Russia's latest large-scale raid on Ukraine.
Russia has recently increased its use of missiles in large-scale attacks against targets in Ukraine, including the capital Kiev. Previously, Russia mainly used drones in night attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the country's people to prepare for a new wave of Russian air strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure as winter approaches.
Ukraine and the West believe that Russia applied the tactic of raiding the enemy's energy infrastructure in the cold winter to weaken Kiev's morale and force Ukraine to make concessions.
Meanwhile, Russia then explained that its attacks were aimed at weakening Ukraine's ability to send soldiers, weapons, and military equipment to the front lines.
