Russia launches new burst of missile and drone attacks, says Ukrainian air force

KYIV – Russia launched a multi-wave overnight attack on Ukraine, using 70 air-assault weapons, including cruise and hypersonic missiles and Iranian-made drones, Kyiv’s air force said on Sunday, and at least 10 missiles appear to have got through air defences.

Ukraine’s air defence destroyed 30 out of 40 cruise missiles and all 27 of the Shahed drones that Russia launched overnight, the air force – which was celebrated in a holiday on Sunday – said on its Telegram messaging channel.

It also said Russia launched three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, but did not disclose any further information on them.

“In total, in several waves of attacks, from the evening of Aug 5 to the morning of Aug 6, 2023, the enemy used 70 means of air assault weapons,” the air force added.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

It was not immediately clear whether there was any damage from the overnight attack or what happened to the 10 cruise missiles that were not shot down.

The deputy governor of the Khmelnytskyi region in western Ukraine, Mr Serhiy Tiurin, said that a military airfield in Starokostiantyniv was among the targets.

“The Starokostiantyniv airfield is on the enemy’s mind. There was a series of explosions in Starokostiantyniv and Khmelnytskyi communities,” he said on messaging app Telegram.

“Most of the missiles were shot down by air defence forces.”

Mr Tiurin said explosions had damaged several private houses, a communal cultural institution and the bus station, and that a fire had broken out at a grain silo.

Air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told the national Ukrainian broadcaster that one of the key targets for Russia’s overnight attack was the Khmelnytskyi region.

“Now, it is the Starokostiantyniv airfield that haunts the enemy,” Mr Ihnat said.

Russia had previously targeted the Starokostiantyniv military airfield in the Khmelnytskyi region at the end of July. REUTERS