Russia uses against Ukraine missiles it received from Kyiv for gas debts in 1999
A fallen Kh-55 cruise missile (Getty Images)
Russia launches Kh-55 cruise missiles on Ukrainian territory received by Moscow as part of a 1999 agreement between the Ukrainian government and the Russian Federation to settle Kyiv's gas debts, according to the Schemes investigative news project.
As it is reported, journalists obtained the text of the agreement and a list of the Kh-55 missiles transferred to Russia in the late 1990s. After comparing these numbers with the Kh-55 missiles used by Russia to shell Ukraine in the last two years, it was discovered that at least a dozen of them were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, while some hit residential buildings.
The 1999 agreement, signed in Yalta, Crimea, involved the transfer of eight Tu-160 heavy bombers, three Tu-95MS bombers, and 575 Kh-55 cruise missiles to Russia by Ukraine as compensation for the gas consumed by Ukraine, amounting to UAH 275 million.
The Schemes managed to obtain lists with all the numbers of the transferred missiles and compared them with the Kh-55 missile numbers used by Russia during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It was revealed that three missiles shot down in Kyiv and its region in January, May, and April of 2023 were part of the missiles transferred to Moscow in 1999.
Another Kh-55 missile transferred to Russia hit a multi-story residential building in Kyiv at the end of 2022, resulting in the death of a woman. In a separate incident, a child was injured when another Kh-55 hit a house in the Kyiv region.
Other missiles were identified through the photos of the numbers on debris obtained from law enforcement sources.
In total, more than ten missiles previously transferred by Ukraine to Russia were identified as those currently used by Russia for attacks.
Recent attacks
In the latest attacks, the Russian army launched Iranian-made kamikaze drones toward Ukraine last night. Ukrainian air defenses managed to destroy 23 drones, but some strikes were successful.
The occupiers once again targeted one of Ukraine's ports and caused damage in the capital and the Kyiv region due to the falling debris from downed drones.
Additionally, on the night of August 3, Russian forces launched 15 drones toward Kyiv. Fortunately, all enemy drones were shot down by anti-aircraft defense systems.
