Ukraine downed 6/21 missiles during Russia’s morning attack, Air Force says

December 31, 2024

By Ukraine

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Ukraine’s Air Force Command updated on Russia’s morning air attack on 31 December, reporting that the Russian forces employed 21 missiles of various types alongside 40 explosive and decoy drones.

Russia continues its deliberate daily air attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Since October 2022, it has systematically targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with extensive missile and drone assaults, aiming to disrupt civilian life, particularly during the winter months. Earlier reports indicated that Russia conducted a series of missile and drone attacks against multiple Ukrainian cities on 31 December, targeting Kyiv, Shostka, and Odesa, amid the Shahed explosive drone attack, according to Ukrainian officials. Minor damage and one injury were reported.

According to the Air Force’s update, Russian forces launched 61 aerial weapons starting at 20:30 on December 30. These included six Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh Oblast, one Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile launched by a MiG-31K from Tula Oblast airspace, and six Kh-69 guided aviation missiles from tactical aircraft in Belgorod Oblast airspace.

Russians launch missile strikes on Kyiv, Shostka, Odesa on 31 December

The Air Force reports that the attack also involved eight Kh-22 cruise missiles launched by Tu-22M3 aircraft from Tula Oblast airspace. It also involved 40 drones, including Shahed-type one-way attack drones and other types of decoy drones from Russia’s Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Bryansk, and Millerovo directions.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups reportedly successfully intercepted one Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile, five Kh-69 guided aviation missiles, and 16 Shahed-type strike drones. Additionally, 24 decoy drones of various types disappeared from radars without negative consequences.

The military report noted that ballistic missiles struck targets in Sumy and Kyiv oblasts, not including in the report an anti-radiation missile attack on Odesa, which occurred at 10:30.

Based on the Air Force data, it can be concluded that none of the six ballistic missiles and all eight Kh-22 cruise missiles were intercepted and might have reached their targets. Additionally, the data suggests that none of the Russian drones hit their intended targets.

Shostka attack update

During the national telethon, Volodymyr Artyukh, head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, reported that Russian forces had fired 13 missiles at Shostka, accounting for nearly half of all missiles that hit the community this year.

“Over the past day, 10 settlements in Sumy Oblast came under enemy fire. Shostka suffered the heaviest attacks, with 13 missiles launched. At 3:00 a.m., four missiles targeted the city’s infrastructure, followed by nine more at 8:00 a.m.,” Artyukh said.

The region’s authorities didn’t mention any civilian casualties from the attack.

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