Ukraine said on Wednesday that its air defenses – drawing on a stockpile of anti-aircraft missiles recently replenished by allies, including the United States – had shot down 29 of 30 missiles and exploding drones fired by Russia at the country in an overnight barrage. This is one of the better interception rates from Ukraine so far in the war.
And in Kyiv, authorities said they had shot down all missiles and detonated drones aimed at the capital when the devices approached or rose above the city. An aerial duel, between air defense systems normally provided by the West and incoming Russian missiles, was played out in the city just before 3am.
Earlier in the year, Ukraine’s air defense ammunition was running low. Commanders in several batteries said the missiles were rationed, allowing the Russian missiles to travel unimpeded. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky told a meeting on economic aid for Ukraine that his country’s forces needed additional US-made Patriot air defense systems.
The Biden administration has decided to give Ukraine one additional Patriot system, including a launcher, a stockpile of missiles and a powerful radar antenna to locate targets. Other countries are also considering transferring Patriot launchers to Ukraine. Germany has arranged for the donation of 100 missiles from its stockpile and Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, of which 32 have been delivered so far, German defense minister Boris Pistorius said this week.
As the attack took place on Wednesday, lightning flashed across the sky and explosions erupted. One civilian was injured by falling debris, authorities said.
“The enemy launched another missile attack on the capital,” the Kyiv military administrator said in a post on Telegram, a social networking site. Typical of recent Russian attacks, the attacks combined several types of weapons, including drones and cruise missiles. The tactic was aimed at overcoming Ukraine’s air defenses.
The cruise missiles, launched from bombers flying over Russian airspace, are scheduled to arrive in Kyiv along with Iranian-designed Shahed explosive drone volleys. In the overall attack, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia also fired three ballistic missiles, a medium-range Iskander, a ground-launched ballistic missile and two Kinzhal, or air-launched Dagger missiles, which were launched from aircraft and flew hypersonic. speed. Ukrainian and Western officials say Patriot interceptors are the only defense against Dagger missiles.
Ukraine shot down five of six missiles and all 24 Shahed drones, the air force said in a statement that could not be independently confirmed.
Ukraine’s interception rate for drones and missiles has dropped in the first month of this year compared to the previous year, as air defense ammunition is running low and Russia is adapting tactics to evade existing defenses.
The average shoot-down rate for drones in the 12 months to April was about 80 percent, data from the Ukrainian Air Force showed. The missile interception rate has dropped in some months this year to less than 50 percent, the data showed.
In neighboring Poland, the military said it had scrambled jets to defend its airspace as Russian missiles flew over Ukraine.
In Kyiv, on Wednesday, falling debris injured the leg of one civilian, the city’s military administrator, Ruslan Kravchenko, said in another post on Telegram. Falling missile debris also caused two fires.
Debris from intercepts – sometimes small, silvery shards of metal and at other times heavy rocket motors – rained down in Kyiv after such engagements, often causing injuries. The debris was from two interceptors and an incoming Russian missile.
In recent attacks, Russia has targeted power plants, and this month, about half of Ukraine’s electricity generating capacity has been destroyed. The government has introduced nationwide blackouts as a result.
Natalia Novosolova contributed reporting.