Ukrainian air defense destroyed 23 Russian missiles

9 May, 2023 A fragment of the rocket fell in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. May 9, 2023. Photo credits: Ministry of Internal Affairs

On the night of May 9, Ukrainian air defense destroyed 23 cruise missiles out of 25 launched by the Russian invaders. The Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this. The aggressor carried out two waves of attacks on the territory of Ukraine with naval- and air-launched cruise missiles.

The invaders launched 25 Kalibr and Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles. Around 10:00 p.m. on May 8, the Russians launched eight Kalibr cruise missiles from carriers in the Black Sea, which the invaders directed at the eastern regions of Ukraine.

Ukrainian air defense destroyed 23 Russian missiles, May 2023

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Command "East" destroyed all eight missiles. In Dnipro, the wreckage of a Russian missile fell on a four-story building.

A 32-year-old woman was injured and is in the hospital. The roof and ceilings of several apartments were damaged in the building. In addition, the warhead of the missile was discovered on the third floor of the building.

Serhiy Lysak, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, said that the dangerous debris had already been removed for further destruction. Later, closer to 04:00 a.m. on May 9, the invaders launched 17 Kh-101/Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles from strategic aircraft. Four Russian Tu-95MS bomber jets were involved in attacking Ukraine.

They launched missiles from the Caspian Sea region.

Tu-95MS strategic bomber. Photo from open sources

The Ukrainian military reported that 14 cruise missiles were destroyed by the Air Command "Center", another enemy missile was shot down in the area of responsibility of the Air Command "South". The Ukrainian air defense destroyed a total of 15 Kh-101/Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles.

During the attack on Kyiv, a fragment of a downed missile fell in a private yard in the capital's Holosiivskyi district, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. The wreckage was extinguished, and no casualties or damage were reported. Also, the fall of enemy missiles was recorded in the Kyiv region, with the partial destruction of civil infrastructure.

A downed Russian missile over Kyiv region, May 9, 2023.

Photo credits: Andrii Nebytov

In total, on the night of May 9, 2023, the air defense of the Ukrainian Air Force, in cooperation with the servicemen of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, shot down 23 missiles out of 25 launched by the Russian aggressor.