During a massive attack on the night of August 5, Russia launched drones and 28 missiles at Ukraine, none of which were intercepted. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Russian Federation attacked with four Kinzhal/Onyx anti-ship missiles, 24 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, as well as 115 unmanned aerial vehicles of various types.
Shortage of Interceptors
Ukraine is experiencing an acute shortage of missiles for Patriot air defense systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Kyiv has systematically called on partners, in particular the United States, to help with interceptors, as even with Ukraine having a license to produce Patriot missiles, establishing production of large quantities of interceptors could take from one to five years.
Consequences of the Strike
The Air Force emphasized that the main direction of tonight's strike was the Kyiv region. As a result of the Russian attack, 14 people were killed there, and one more in Kyiv.
By 08:30, 98 drones were destroyed/suppressed. Direct hits from all missiles and 17 strike UAVs were recorded at 26 locations, as well as the fall of destroyed debris at six additional locations.
For Comparison: Previous Attack
- The previous massive attack occurred on the night of August 1, when Russians launched 35 missiles at Ukraine, of which 27 were ballistic, and 185 strike unmanned aerial vehicles. The main target of the attack was Kyiv, but there were strikes in other regions as well: in Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions.
- As a result of the strike, the base of construction company "Avtostrada" was damaged, the Velmart hypermarket on the left bank of Kyiv (Bereznyky), a Rozetka warehouse where an employee was killed, publisher "Ranok" and the "KnigoLend" network, board game publisher Rozum. Ambulances were also destroyed at one of the parking lots of Kyivmedspechtrans.
Zero ballistic targets intercepted in one night—an indicator that raises questions not about the heroism of air defense crews, but about the physical availability of Patriot missiles. If partners do not accelerate supplies of interceptors in the coming months, the Kyiv region will continue to remain open to Iskander strikes without any chance of interception.
