Russia used the entire range of weapons during strike on Ukraine, - Air Force
Last night, Russia launched one of the largest attacks on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, employing the full range of its available capabilities. The main target of the attack was Kyiv.
This was announced on television by Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, according to Censor.NET, which cites RBC-Ukraine.
"The enemy has been launching large-scale attacks for the past day or so. There was a lot of talk about this the day before, following the so-called 'ceasefire.' They clearly used it to amass their forces and strike without pause," Ihnat said.
He noted that there was a brief lull following last night’s attack, but it was not long enough for personnel and equipment to rest and regroup.
However, the Air Force has operated in this mode on numerous occasions, knowing full well that the enemy offers no respite.
What the Russians used
"That is why physical exhaustion is taking its toll, as is the strain on our equipment and the depletion of certain types of ammunition. It goes without saying that all of this takes time. However, a large number of targets were destroyed last night. We are currently facing the heaviest strikes since the full-scale invasion began, involving cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and various types of drones," the spokesperson added.
According to him, in addition to "Gerbera," "Italmas," and "Shahed" drones, the Russians have also deployed jet-powered drones and "Banderole" loitering munitions today. In other words, they have deployed the full range of weapons at their disposal.
"The nature of the attack is clear. We see the destruction of civilian buildings and, unfortunately, casualties in the capital. It is the capital that has become the target of the strike. The enemy wants to strike at the heart of the country, achieve its own objectives, and, in the media context, demonstrate that they have no intention of making concessions, etc.," Ihnat noted.
At the same time, he emphasized that the Defense Forces had done their very best today.
The air defense forces were under extreme pressure
"Of course, we would have liked to shoot down more targets, but we have shot down or intercepted 693 targets. Among them are 9 X-101 cruise missiles, as well as 12 out of 18 ballistic missiles. Well, that’s a pretty high interception rate. Unfortunately, the Patriot system was unable to intercept 6 missiles," the spokesperson said.
According to him, the air defense forces were extremely busy today.
"While yesterday we faced challenging weather conditions and a massive number of drones coming from various directions, today all of them have converged on a single location, and unfortunately, it is impossible to shoot down such a large number with our limited resources. The enemy is also well aware of the problem our air defense is facing today. Therefore, we must understand that the air defense is doing everything possible to destroy as many as possible, but, unfortunately, it is impossible to shoot them all down," Ignat explained.
Supply of anti-missile systems
At the same time, he noted that very serious efforts are underway at the diplomatic level to secure the supply of anti-missile systems.
"Today, the Patriot system was in operation, and a certain number of missiles were expended. Obviously, we need to replenish our stockpile to protect against the next ballistic attack. We also need ground-based systems. This work is ongoing. We cannot disclose our current stockpile at this time. But the need is always there. Therefore, we expect our partners to continue supplying anti-ballistic missiles, because we need something to defend ourselves with," the spokesperson added.
A massive combined strike on May 14
Overnight, the Russian military launched a massive combined strike against cities in Ukraine.
The brunt of the attack fell on Kyiv. The following were recorded:
- destruction of residential buildings;
- fires caused by falling debris;
- partial collapses of high-rise buildings;
- There may be people trapped under the rubble.
Other regions were also targeted: Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, and Chernihiv. In addition, the Odesa region was attacked.
On the night of May 14, Russian occupiers launched 731 strikes against Ukraine—56 missiles and 675 UAVs.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that since the start of yesterday, the Russians have deployed more than 1,560 drones to strike Ukraine.
