The Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had intercepted 36 cruise missiles fired by Russia as part of a new series of attacks.
“On July 26, 36 enemy cruise missiles were destroyed”, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk announced on the air force’s official Telegram channel.
He didn’t say whether Russian missiles reached their intended target during the attack.
According to the air force, Ukrainian forces intercepted three Kalibr missiles in the afternoon and 33 X-101 and X-555 missiles in the early evening.
“The missiles were launched from the southeast by eight Tu-95 bombers bound for western Ukraine”, the report reads.
On Wednesday evening, the air force announced another Russian strike targeting the Khmelnytsky region of western Ukraine, which Moscow has already struck multiple times.
It said information regarding the MiG-31 raid, in which four hypersonic Kinjal missiles were deployed, was being clarified, but that they were extremely tough to intercept.
The governor of Ukraine’s Dnipro central area reported on Telegram that the wreckage of a fallen Russian missile ignited a fire, which was quickly extinguished with no casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the air force for shooting down the vast majority of the missiles in his evening address.
“I am grateful to each and every one of them who protects the Ukrainian sky”, he stated.
Russia has expanded its bombing of Ukrainian cities in the last two weeks, focusing on the vital Black Sea port of Odesa.
“A few hits were made, and some missile fragments fell. However, it is critical that the arrogance of this onslaught be eradicated”, he added.
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