The Ukrainian Air Force announced Wednesday (July 26th) that it had intercepted 36 cruise missiles fired by Russia during a new wave of bombings, in the 18th month of Moscow's invasion of the country.
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On July 26, 36 cruise missiles of the enemy were destroyed," Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said on Telegram. He did not say whether Russian missiles hit their target in the attack.
Multiple strikes
According to the Air Force, Ukrainian forces intercepted three Kalibr missiles in a first round of strikes in the afternoon and 33 X-101 and X-555 missiles in the early evening. The missiles were fired from eight Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers from the southeast heading towards western Ukraine "constantly changing direction," according to the same source.
In contrast, the Air Force reported another Russian strike in the evening using MiG-31 fighters that fired four Kinjal hypersonic missiles, which are particularly difficult to intercept. The strike targeted the Khmelnytsky region in western Ukraine, which has already been repeatedly targeted by Russia. "Information regarding the consequences of the X-47 Kinjal firing is being clarified," Ukrainian forces said.
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In the Dnipro region, Governor Sergei Lysak announced on Telegram that the debris of a downed Russian missile caused a fire that was brought under control without causing casualties. Russia has stepped up bombing of Ukrainian cities over the past two weeks, targeting in particular the Black Sea port of Odessa, where infrastructure used for Ukraine's grain exports has been hit. Russia regularly says it targets Ukrainian military targets in the Khmelnytsky region, located several hundred kilometers from the front line.