RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia launches hypersonic missiles at Ukrainian targets – MOD

Russian forces have launched a major strike on Ukrainian military industry facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. The attack involved long-range high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and also drones.

The targets included facilities producing 155mm, 152mm and 125mm shells for Ukrainian tanks and artillery as well as drone workshops and gunpowder factories, the ministry said in a statement on Telegram. All the targets were successfully hit and the goal of the strike was achieved, it added.

The Defense Ministry did not disclose the exact number of targets, their locations, or the number of projectiles used.

Ukrainian media have claimed that Russian forces launched around 40 missiles. They reported damage in the city of Dnepropetrovsk (known as Dnepr in Ukraine) and the northern Sumsky region, while claiming that half of the projectiles failed to reach their targets.

The Ukrainian Air Force claimed it shot down eight missiles out of 40. Kiev’s military also stated that around 20 projectiles that were not technically downed still supposedly failed to reach their targets due to “active electronic warfare operations.” The Ukrainian media reported that the Russian strikes hit targets in seven different regions. An air defense alert was issued in all provinces of Ukraine, the reports added.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that its forces only attack military targets or linked infrastructure.

The bombardment came just days after Ukrainian forces struck the Russian city of Belgorod, leaving three people injured.

Belgorod Region borders Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, and has been under sporadic shelling by Kiev’s artillery for months. Ukraine has carried out almost continual long-range rocket attacks since December 30, when missiles with cluster warheads struck a holiday market in the center of Belgorod, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The December 30 strikes claimed the lives of at least 25 civilians, including five children, while more than 100 were injured, according to local authorities. Moscow condemned what it called a terrorist attack on civilians celebrating New Year.

Russia has responded to the Belgorod massacre by repeatedly striking Ukrainian military-industrial complex sites, missile and ammunition warehouses, and depots of equipment sent to Kiev by the US and its allies.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine attacked overnight by 40 Russian missiles, drones, air force says

Ukraine suffered a large Russian missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, while its air defences were able to down a far lower proportion of them than usual.

According to Ukraine's air force, Russia launched 37 missiles and three drones. Eight missiles were downed, it said in a statement on social media.

The air force's spokesperson said earlier this week that Ukraine was now suffering from a deficit of air defence missiles. It was not immediately clear whether this or any other factor was the reason for the low hit rate.

Most of the types of missile used overnight were extremely fast-moving ballistic types, the air force said. These are far harder to shoot down.

"It should be noted that more than 20 of all the listed (weapons) which were not included in the number of the downed, did not reach their targets as a result of active countermeasures by electronic warfare," the statement said.

There were no details on the targets of the strike.

Air defences shot down Russian missiles in at least five regions across Ukraine, according to local officials from those provinces.

The large south-eastern city of Dnipro was struck, the local governor said, also without providing detail as to what was hit.

Police in the northern region of Chernihiv posted a picture of a large crater made by a downed missile.

"As a result of being hit by the debris of an enemy missile, several private homes and non-residential buildings were damaged, one building was practically destroyed," the police wrote. No people were hurt but a dog was killed, police said.

RT/Reuters