The spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Yuriy Ignat, officially confirmed that for the first time in a long time, Russia attacked Kyiv with Kh-22 anti-ship missiles. The air defense forces were able to successfully destroy 9 of the 12 enemy targets.
Points of attention
- The transfer of Tu-22M3 bombers from the Far East by Russia underscores the seriousness of the situation, with a total of 412 Kh-22 or Kh-32 missiles used against Ukraine, of which only three have been shot down.
- The use of Kh-22 missiles in urban areas like Kyiv raises concerns about civilian casualties and the high destructive power of these missiles, as highlighted by the tragic incident in Dnipro where 46 people lost their lives.
Russia carried out a new attack with Kh-22 missiles
Yuriy Ignat drew attention to the fact that missiles such as the Kh-22 had not been in the lineup for a long time.
The peculiarity of this attack is precisely in the use of these missiles... Kh-22 missiles, which were actually used against aircraft carrier groups (this is their main purpose). They can carry different charges. And their peculiarity is that the combat weight of this missile is 950 kilograms.
Yuri Ignat
Spokesperson of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel
He also officially confirmed that on the night of January 24, the enemy used 12 such missiles from strategic aircraft.
It is worth noting that we are talking about Tu-22M3 bombers, which Russia recently transferred from the Far East closer to Ukraine.
According to Ignat, “this is an unprecedented case.”
Against this background, he recalled that in 2023, this missile destroyed an entire entrance to a house in Dnipro, killing many people.
Since then, the enemy has used such missiles less on the mainland of Ukraine, concentrating more on the south of Ukraine (oil platforms, Zmiiniy Island)
It is also worth noting that a total of 412 Kh-22 or Kh-32 missiles have been used against Ukraine, of which only three have been shot down so far. Currently, the air defense has another 9. That is, a total of 12.
