Ukrainian Air Force shares details of massive Russian attack on December 29

Ukrainian air defenses destroyed about 80% of air targets during a massive Russian missile attack on December 29.

The command of the Air Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces informed that during the night defenders shot down 11 Shahed-131/136 UAVs that were approaching eastern Ukraine.

Around 7 am, the Russian enemy launched Kh-101/Kh-555 air-based cruise missiles over Ukraine. It is noted that the Russians did this with Tu-95ms strategic bombers from the Volgodonsk area in the Rostov region and the northern region of the Caspian Sea.

The Russian Federation also used Kalibr missiles and carried out launches from ships in the Black Sea.

“In addition, up to six launches of Kh-22 and Kh-32 cruise missiles were carried out from Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, two launches of Kh-31P anti-radar missiles. Also, the occupiers used S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles against infrastructure facilities of frontline cities,” the Air Force Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces noted. 

According to preliminary data, the Russians used a total of 69 missiles, of which 54 were successfully destroyed by Ukrainian defenders.

Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told Espreso which missiles Ukrainian air defense can shoot down.

Yurii Ihnat emphasized that the 80% shot down. Statistics also include launched missiles, which the Ukrainian air defense cannot eliminate due to the lack of the necessary means for this. In particular, we are talking about Kh-22, Kh-31 or S-300 missiles. Missiles flying at high speed or on a ballistic trajectory cannot yet be hit by defenders.

However, the statistics of the destruction of air targets will be higher if we count those that Ukraine has the capacity to destroy. This applies to the Kh-101 or Kalibr missiles.

• On the morning of December 29, Russia massively attacked the regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense operated on the territories of the Kyiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Odesa, and Lviv regions, as well as in Kyiv itself. Explosions were also heard in some regions.