Large-scale Russian attack: Air Force clarifies number of eliminated enemy targets
Since the evening of December 22, during a massive Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, the Defense Forces neutralized 635 out of 673 aerial attack assets, including almost all cruise missiles.
Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this during a televised broadcast, Ukrinform reports.
According to Ihnat, the enemy employed 673 aerial attack assets, including 38 air- and ground-launched missiles, namely 35 cruise missiles and three Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles.
“Today, 34 out of 35 cruise missiles were shot down, and the primary credit for this goes to tactical aviation pilots — our airmen, including those flying F-16s,” he noted.
Ihnat added that the attack had a broad geographical scope, stretching from the south to the west of the country. The Lviv, Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, and Zhytomyr regions were among those targeted, and in some areas damage and destruction were recorded as a result of falling debris from missiles and drones.
He also emphasized that the effectiveness of repelling the attack was the result of coordinated efforts by all components of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces.
“This is achieved through the tremendous work of everyone engaged in countering aerial targets,” the Air Force representative stressed.
Ihnat separately highlighted the role of international assistance.
“Undoubtedly, partner support and the delivery of missiles play a key role — something we essentially allude to in nearly every video report. Pilots and aircraft technicians alike speak about this: we are ready to defend and fight, but we must have the means to destroy enemy missiles. Mirage and F-16 pilots have also spoken about this, and accordingly, on behalf of the command, we thank our partners for ensuring that these deliveries are indeed taking place,” he concluded.
As reported by Ukrinform, Russia carried out a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, prompting the introduction of emergency power outages in several regions.