NATO-supplied missiles intercepted over Russian border region – governor
Russian air defenses have reportedly intercepted two NATO-supplied Storm Shadow missiles that were apparently heading towards a school and medical facility in Russia’s Kherson Region, according to the governor, Vladimir Saldo.
In a Telegram post on Wednesday, the governor stated that the missiles were brought down near the village of Popovka in the Genchesk municipality, and posted several photos apparently showing what was left of the Franco-British-made munitions.
“In an open field near the village of Popovka, the military found fragments of the downed missiles. Individual marking elements were discovered indicating their foreign production,” Saldo wrote.
The incident follows a string of attempted missile and drone strikes by Kiev’s forces on Russian regions bordering Ukraine in recent weeks, often using NATO-supplied munitions. On Tuesday, Russian air defenses repelled a UAV attack on the city of Voronezh, located around 200km from the Ukrainian border. Despite shooting down the drones, several buildings sustained minor damage and one young girl was injured by shattered glass.
Earlier this month, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the military shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones that were targeting the Crimean Peninsula, as well as ten projectiles, including Western-supplied Storm Shadows, aimed at the city of Sevastopol. While none of the missiles managed to reach their destinations, debris from the destroyed projectiles caused some property damage and injured one civilian, according to local media reports.
In late December, another Ukrainian drone and missile strike was carried out on the city of Belgorod, resulting in the deaths of 25 civilians, including several children, while over 100 people were injured. On January 1, Kiev also shelled Donetsk, killing four people and injuring 13.
In response to the attack, Russian forces launched a massive missile strike on military facilities across Ukraine on January 2, including drone production facilities in Kiev. President Vladimir Putin had vowed to ramp up attacks on Ukrainian military targets in response to Kiev’s indiscriminate attacks on Russian cities.
