Ukraine stated it repelled an unprecedented barrage of Russian missiles over Kyiv early on Tuesday, denying Moscow’s claims that it had succeeded in taking out a US-made Patriot system.

The commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Basic Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, stated all 18 projectiles, together with six hypersonic Kinzhals and 9 Kalibr cruise missiles, had been downed in a single day. The newest air strikes, which come greater than a 12 months into Russia’s faltering full-scale invasion, triggered at the very least a dozen loud explosions in Kyiv at round 3am.

“It was distinctive in its density — the utmost variety of assault missiles within the shortest time frame,” stated Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s metropolis army administration.

Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s defence ministry spokesman, claimed on Tuesday that one of many Kinzhals managed to take out a Patriot missile battery in Kyiv, suggesting that its assault was aimed toward overwhelming and taking down Ukraine’s just lately acquired western defence methods. Russia additionally stated it had shot down seven UK-supplied Storm Shadow long-range missiles, with out offering any additional proof.

Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, stated Russia’s claims have been “pure propaganda and pure lies”.

Earlier this month, Kyiv stated that considered one of two just lately delivered US Patriot air defence models had for the primary time downed a Russian Kinzhal ballistic missile, displaying a capability Ukraine had beforehand not possessed.

The strikes got here hours after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accomplished a three-day tour in Europe, the place he met senior officers within the UK, Germany, France and Italy, who pledged extra western weaponry, together with air defence methods forward of a extensively anticipated counter-offensive.

“The principle outcomes of today are new weapons for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated in a video deal with late on Monday. “Our victory has been introduced nearer,” he added.

Ukraine’s armed forces have but to launch a marketing campaign aimed toward liberating extra of japanese and southern areas the place Russia occupies practically a fifth of state territory. Zelenskyy’s pleas for added air defences in addition to western fighter jets, materiel not but provided, are aimed toward offering higher cowl for floor troops.

The nation’s capabilities have since late final 12 months been boosted by Nato-grade methods supplied by western backers, together with the 2 long-range Patriots, and medium-range Nasams and Iris-Ts from Germany.

Individually, Russian media on Tuesday stated 5 border guards have been wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike on a border management centre in Kursk area on Monday night. All 5 have been hospitalised in a steady situation with shrapnel wounds, based on Baza and Mash, channels on the social media app Telegram with ties to Russian safety providers.