Russian forces launched six ballistic missiles at Ukrainian territory on 6 April, with only one successfully intercepted by Ukraine’s Air Force. The remaining missiles struck Kyiv and surrounding areas.
“Unfortunately, of the six ballistic missiles, only one was destroyed. The others — regrettably — hit their targets. In Kyiv Oblast,” Yuriy Ignat, head of the Communication Department of the Air Force Command, told Ukrainian TV.
A Russian missile struck Kyiv's Obolon district, creating a massive crater in the street.
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) April 6, 2025
One person was killed, and 2-3 others were injured. Fires broke out across multiple areas as rescue teams rush to the scene. pic.twitter.com/KMcTEH5cAL
Despite this, Ukrainian forces did manage to neutralize 12 Caliber and X-101 cruise missiles using electronic warfare systems, preventing them from reaching their targets and causing further damage.
The attack was part of a larger combined Russian assault involving 132 air assault weapons, including 23 different types of missiles and 109 combat drones.
Evolving Russian threat
Ignat highlighted the challenge of keeping pace with Russia’s evolving weaponry.
“After the deployment of Patriot systems, we’ve seen good results, like intercepting ‘Kinzhal’ and ‘Iskander’ missiles,” he said. “But it’s becoming more difficult as the enemy modernizes their missiles.”
He noted that Russian Shahed drones have undergone several modifications since their introduction and that Russia has increased its use of ballistic missiles since early 2024. Ukraine shares this intelligence with Western partners to encourage upgrades to defense systems like NASAMS and IRIS-T needed to counter these threats.
On 6 April, the ballistic missiles targeted three of Kyiv’s districts, killing one person and injuring three others. The strikes caused a fire in non-residential buildings, destroyed one structure, and left three parked cars ablaze.
The attack also damaged several media outlets, including Freedom TV, Dim, UATV (English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese editions), The Gaze, and various digital departments and technical services.
Air defense challenges grow
This strike follows a 4 April attack on Kryvyi Rih with an Iskander-M ballistic missile that also evaded interception. That combined missile and drone attack killed 19 people, including 9 children.
According to a recent analysis by The Telegraph, Ukraine’s air defense effectiveness has declined from above 60% last summer to below 50% recently. Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks have increased by more than 50% since US-led peace talks began in mid-February, with daily attacks rising from 101 to 154 drones on average.
“It’s clear that the Russians were trying to exploit the pause in intelligence sharing,” said Karolina Hird, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
She noted that Russia has shifted to long-range drones that are better able to penetrate Ukrainian defenses.
“The Russian strike packages are getting bigger and more effective,” Hird observed, calling this “incongruent with Russian claims that they are ready for peace.”
Read more:
- The Telegraph: Ukraine’s air defense catch rate drops to 50% as Russia’s drone attacks skyrocket amid peace talks
- Russian missiles kill one in Kyiv at dawn attack, fires rage across the city
- OSINT: If Russia’s strike was “precision,” they aimed to kill 9 kids in Zelenskyy’s hometown
- “I’m begging you, save my son”: father screams in despair as Russian missile kills 9 kids in Ukraine
- “Horrible bang, wild screams.” Russian missile strike kills 16, including 6 children, near playground in Zelenskyy’s hometown
