Russian Kh-22 cruise missile
Russia attacks key Ukrainian facilities
Sputnik News quoted information from the Russian Defense Ministry on August 15 saying that the country's forces launched an attack overnight on a number of Ukrainian military industrial facilities.
Russian troops conducted long-range precision strikes, causing significant damage to enemy military- industrial complexes.
Russia also said it had intercepted SCALP long-range cruise missiles for the first time, a French-made variant of the Storm Shadow long-range missile that Britain has provided to Ukraine since May.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced that it shot down 16 of 28 Russian cruise missiles. However, one missile hit a factory in the western city of Lutsk, killing three workers, according to AFP.
Speaking on Rada radio on August 15, Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesman Yury Ignat admitted that the country's air defense forces could not intercept the Kh-22 cruise missile.
"Not just last night, but since the beginning of the campaign, Ukraine has not been able to shoot down the Kh-22," the spokesman said. And he said that only the US-made Patriot air defense system can shoot down the Russian missile line.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the front line
President Zelensky arrives at the Zaporizhzhia frontline
On the same day, the Office of the President of Ukraine announced that Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky had inspected the front line in Zaporizhzhia and met with forces participating in the counteroffensive in the south.
In the clip, Mr. Zelensky and officers look at a battle map showing the brigade's command position near the town of Orikhiv.
After more than two months of counter-offensive, Ukraine has regained control of several villages, but has yet to capture any cities. Kyiv admits that the campaign has been slower than expected due to Russian preparations and the lack of weapons in the Ukrainian army.
Also on August 15, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the construction of fortifications and military infrastructure in the northeastern regions bordering Russia and Belarus with a budget of nearly 35 million USD.
"At the request of Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions... we allocated 911.5 million hryvnia ($24.7 million) to Kharkiv and 363 million hryvnia ($9.8 million) to Chernihiv for the construction of military facilities and fortified structures," Shmyhal said on Telegram.
The Chernihiv region, which borders Russia and Belarus, was partially controlled by Russia after Moscow launched a special military operation in February 2022. However, Ukraine later recaptured these areas.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu speaks at a conference in Moscow on August 15.
Russian Defense Minister comments on the war
Speaking at a security conference in Moscow attended by Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu admitted that the war in Ukraine is a real test for Russia.
"During the special military operation, the Russian military deciphered a lot of information related to the superiority of Western weapons standards," Reuters quoted Mr. Shoigu.
"The preliminary analysis of the operations shows that Ukraine's military resources are almost exhausted," the Russian minister also said, but did not provide evidence for this statement.
Mr. Shoigu affirmed that every weapon has its weaknesses, and through the battlefield in Ukraine, Russia has grasped the weaknesses of Western weapons.
"We have data on how to destroy German tanks, American armored vehicles, British missiles and other weapons systems," he said, adding that he was ready to share details of Western weapons' weaknesses with allies.
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