Count of Kinzhal missiles launched in war: Air Force
Photo: Spokesperson of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ihnat (Getty Images)
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has launched 63 aeroballistic missiles Kinzhal against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have successfully intercepted and downed 25 of these missiles, reports spokesperson of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat, during a televised marathon.
"We currently have 63 launched Kinzhal missiles since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This information is official. We have successfully destroyed 25 of them starting from May 4, 2023. It was during this period that we received the Patriot system last spring, providing us with the capability to intercept aeroballistic missiles," stated the spokesperson.
Yurii Ihnat also commented on a video captured during a massive missile attack on Kyiv, where one of the enemy's missiles fell in Dnipro. He noted that it is yet unconfirmed whether it was a Kinzhal.
"It could be anything. So, you can tell the type when you see it," he added.
It is worth noting that the MiG-31K serves as a carrier for the Kinzhal aeroballistic missile, which is challenging to intercept due to its trajectory. Until spring 2023, Ukrainian forces had not successfully intercepted Kinzhal. However, in May, the air defense forces for the first time destroyed a Russian Kinzhal using the Patriot system provided to Ukraine by its partners.
Massive shelling of Ukraine on January 2
Recalling that on January 2, Russian occupiers repeated a massive shelling similar to December 29, targeting Kyiv and Kharkiv. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, reported that the air defense forces had successfully intercepted 72 missiles, including all 10 Kinzhal missiles.
In Kharkiv, three missile hits were recorded in the Shevchenkivskyi district. In Kyiv, a multi-story building in the Solomianskyi district suffered significant damage.
