Ukraine announced that it shot down all 13 Russian cruise missiles targeting a military airport in the western province of Khmelnitsky.
"Four enemy Tu-95MS strategic bombers launched missiles at the military airport in Khmelnitsky province in the early morning of June 23. All 13 Kh-101/555 cruise missiles were destroyed by air defense forces, most of them in the sky over this province," the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.
Explosion in the sky of the capital Kiev in the early morning of May 29. Photo: Reuters
Ukrainian authorities had earlier issued a nationwide air defense alert. Ukrainian social media accounts said explosions were heard in the western Lviv and Khmelnitsky provinces, the central Dnipro province, and parts of the Kiev-controlled Kherson province in the south.
Khmelnitsky Oblast is home to Starokostiantyniv airport, one of the key bases of the Ukrainian air force before the outbreak of hostilities and believed to be the home base of a squadron of British-supplied Su-24 attack aircraft equipped with Storm Shadow guided missiles.
The area has been repeatedly attacked by cruise missiles and suicide drones since the outbreak of hostilities. During a Russian airstrike on the capital city of Khmelnitsky on May 13, huge fireballs rose as large ammunition depots were destroyed.
The leader of Khmelnitsky province admitted on May 29 that many military targets were attacked by Russia, causing damage to five planes and a runway. This is considered an unusual move, as Ukrainian officials usually do not release information about military facilities hit by Russian attacks.
Location of the city of Khmelnitsky. Graphics: RYV
Russia is conducting continuous raids to prevent Ukraine's counter-offensive, as well as to deplete the enemy's anti-aircraft ammunition, as they have to constantly fire expensive shells to deal with cheap missiles and UAVs.
Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate Vadym Skibitsky said last month that Russia was focusing on attacking strongholds and ammunition depots to disrupt the counterattack, instead of trying to destroy energy infrastructure as before.
Vu Anh (According to CNN )
Source link
Comment (0)