Russian strike wave meets fierce Ukrainian air defence response

During the night of February 12, Russian forces launched a large-scale aerial assault against targets across Ukraine, employing a combination of ballistic missiles, air-launched guided missiles, and attack drones. The primary axes of the strikes included Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa, Ukrainian Armed Forces stated.

In total, Russia is reported to have used 24 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles, Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air-launched missiles, and 219 strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including Shahed, Gerbera, Ilmas, and other types.

Preliminary assessments indicate that Ukrainian air defence systems successfully shot down or otherwise suppressed 213 aerial targets. These included 15 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles, one Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missile, and 197 attack drones.

Despite the high interception rate, direct strikes were recorded. According to the Ukrainian military, nine missiles and 19 strike UAVs hit targets across 13 separate locations. Additionally, debris from intercepted missiles and drones fell in 14 other areas.

By Vafa Guliyeva