MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russian air defense forces intercepted three Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles in the Kherson Region and the Lugansk People’s Republic and eight rockets in the Kharkov Region, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.
"Russian air defense capabilities shot down three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the settlements of Chernobayevka in the Kherson Region, Kunye in the Kharkov Region, Aleksandropolye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, three Tochka-U tactical missiles near the communities of Chernobayevka in the Kherson Region and Pervomaisk in the Lugansk People’s Republic and eight shells of the multiple launch rocket system near Leskovka and Dolgenkoye in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.
In all, the Russian troops have destroyed 231 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 134 helicopters, 1,451 unmanned aerial vehicles, 353 surface-to-air missile systems, 3,910 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 716 multiple rocket launchers, 3,092 field artillery guns and mortars and 4,016 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of their special military operation in Ukraine, the spokesman said.
The Tochka-U is an upgraded version of the Soviet Tochka precision tactical missile system developed by the Kolomna Machine-Building Design Bureau and designated to strike selective small-size targets deep in the enemy defense. It is made up of a one-stage missile guided along its entire flight path and operational at a range of 15 km to 120 km.
The Russian Army has not used Tochka-U missiles since late 2019 when the last missile and artillery unit was rearmed with Iskander tactical missile systems.