MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces attempted to attack Russia with Flamingo cruise missiles in the early morning hours of July 4, the Defense Ministry reported.

"Early on July 4, 2026, the Kiev regime attempted a combined strike on the Russian territory using long-range Flamingo cruise missiles, US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, and long-range drones," the statement said.

According to the army, Vladimir Zelensky attempted to divert the attention of Ukrainians and foreign sponsors from the Ukrainian armed forces' catastrophic failure in Konstantinovka by launching a failed drone attack on Russian territory.

"Russian air defenses thwarted Vladimir Zelensky’s attempt to divert the attention of Ukrainian citizens and foreign sponsors from the consequences of the Russian strike on July 2, 2026, against military targets in the Kiev area and the Ukrainian armed forces' catastrophic failure in Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the report noted.

According to the military, Russian air defenses shot down more than 500 air targets early on July 4, including ten Flamingo missiles. "During the repulsion of the attack in the early morning of July 4, 2026, Russian air defenses downed more than 500 air targets, including ten Flamingo long-range cruise missiles, nine US-made HIMARS rockets in the Belgorod Region, as well as 494 long-range drones," the statement said.

The Defense Ministry also stated that the Russian Armed Forces had destroyed about 13,000 European-made air targets in June.

"In June alone, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed nearly 13,000 air targets over Russian regions. These targets were manufactured and launched by military agencies and specialists from most European countries, including the UK, as well as other sponsors of the Kiev regime," the military said.

The Russian Armed Forces will launch retaliatory strikes if Zelensky continues to attempt to damage civilian targets in Russia, the Defense Ministry emphasized. "Any attempt by Vladimir Zelensky to damage civilian targets in Russia will not go unanswered by the Armed Forces," the report concluded.