Usually, massive Russian missile strikes were spread out across the whole of Ukraine, which forced Ukrainians to spread out their air defense systems. Unfortunately for the Russians, Ukrainians decided to allocate plenty of Patriot systems exactly to the Kyiv region, and as a result, Russians had the most unsuccessful missile strike because, for the first time in this war, Ukrainians managed to shoot down all Russian rockets. It was highly likely the merit of the Intelligence, which unveiled the Russian plans and ensured that Patriot systems showed up at the right place at the right time.
Russians used six hypersonic missiles, Kindzhal, and three yet unspecified ballistic missiles, which could only be intercepted with Patriot systems. Russian sources reported that they targeted areas of forces concentrations, ammunition depots, and warehouses with equipment and that they achieved all their goals and destroyed all predetermined objects. Later local residents started publishing a lot of photos with different remnants of Russian rockets that they found on the streets of Kyiv, some of them even found whole missiles. Several hours later, a video was published with partially reassembled intercepted Russian rockets.
Russian sources also claimed they almost didn’t use hypersonic missiles and that they destroyed one Patriot system. Some sources circulated a video showing an explosion in the area where Patriot systems have been launching rockets. The Ukrainian side responded that Patriot systems are intact and that the explosion was caused by an intercepted missile that fell in the Solomianskyi Kyiv district and caused a fire in a bus station.
Some Russian military analysts also discussed the photos of the remnants of Ukrainian rockets. The remnants were identified as PAC-3 CRI, which means that Ukrainians are indeed capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and confirms that Ukrainians received the newest model of the Patriot air defense system.
Bakhmut: The Ukrainian Head of the Eastern Group of Forces visits frontline positions
When it comes to the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainians seem to be opening another line of attack. After Ukrainians successfully pushed Russians from the hill north of Bohdanivka, the Russian tactical position in the region started to deteriorate and made it much harder to protect the tree lines around Orikhovo-Vasylivka, northwest of Bakhmut. In the aftermath of several assaults, Ukrainians managed to push Russia from one of the trench networks in a dense tree area. The latest reports indicate that Ukrainians have already started intense artillery preparation in this sector. Recent footage shows how a Ukrainian drone operator unveiled a Russian artillery position together with an ammunition depot and, in coordination with an artillery crew, destroyed the enemy forces, equipment, and ammunition.
When it comes to the city itself, Ukrainians retreated toward the outer buildings after Russians penetrated Ukrainian defense positions along Levanevskogo Street. The Head of the Wagner Group, Prigozhin, claimed that Ukrainians set perfect conditions for a controlled fighting withdrawal.
The Ukrainian Head of the Eastern Group of Forces, Oleksandr Syrshyi, arrived in the Bakhmut direction and reported that he gave all the necessary information to the commanders, walked through all possible scenarios, and said that Ukrainians were ready for the next move.
In our daily frontline report, we pair up with military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what’s happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
