MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. The Kiev regime made an attempt on July 9 to deliver several missile strikes on Russian territory, with all the missiles downed or deflected, no casualties and minimal damage, the Main Staff of Russia’s Aerospace Forces reported.
According to preliminary data, the Ukrainian military delivered strikes by Soviet-made S-200 surface-to-air missiles reequipped for attacking ground targets. Initial reports said that shells from NATO countries were used.
TASS has summarized key information on the missile attacks and the reaction to these strikes.
Ukrainian missile attacks
On July 9, the Ukrainian military attempted several missile attacks on Russian territory. It was immediately reported that one missile was shot down near the Crimean city of Kerch, one between Donetsk and Kamensk in the Rostov Region and two missiles over the Bryansk Region 170 km from the border with Ukraine. Although a sawmill and several structures were damaged, no one was hurt in the attacks.
Some Telegram channels highlighted the Ukrainian missiles’ unusual flight path and presumed that this could have been NATO-supplied shells, including British Storm Shadow munitions. In addition, it was also presumed that the missile attack targeted the Desnogorsk nuclear power plant located in the Smolensk Region.
Harsh reaction
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev came up with the harshest reaction to the Kiev regime’s attacks. If the attack on the nuclear power plant is confirmed, it is "necessary to consider the scenario of Russia’s simultaneous strike on the South Ukraine, Rovno and Khmelnitsky nuclear power plants, and also on nuclear facilities in Eastern Europe," Medvedev said.
However, this scenario is plausible, if the missile originates from a NATO country. In this case, "there is nothing to be embarrassed about," he said.
Missiles fail to hit their targets
On Monday morning, the Main Staff of Russia’s Aerospace Forces issued a report on the Ukrainian missile attack on July 9. Chief of the Aerospace Forces Main Staff Viktor Afzalov reported to Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Ukraine’s unsuccessful missile attacks.
As the chief of the Aerospace Forces Main Staff specified, three Ukrainian missiles attacked "the Kerch transport link [the Crimean Bridge] and the Morozovsk airport, with no casualties or destruction."
The Kiev regime delivered strikes "on facilities in Crimea, the Rostov and Kaluga Regions" with Soviet-made S-200 surface-to-air missiles "reequipped into attack weapons with the aim of hitting ground targets." Russian air defense capabilities downed two S-200 missiles and the other two missiles were deflected by electronic warfare systems.
Preemptive strikes
Chief of Russia’s General Staff Gerasimov set the task for the Main Intelligence Department and commanders of Russia’s Joint Grouping of Forces to organize systemic work for revealing storage places and launch sites of S-200 missiles and similar enemy weapons and "plan their pre-emptive destruction," the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
The chief of Russia’s General Staff also set the task to take additional measures within the shortest time possible to provide protection against air strikes.
Responsibility for terror attack
Ahead of the missile strike on the Crimean Bridge, the Ukrainian authorities admitted their responsibility for the terror attack on the bridge in October 2022. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar wrote on her Telegram channel, summing up the results of 500 days of the conflict: "273 days since the first strike was delivered on the Crimean Bridge to disrupt Russian logistics."
The Kiev regime’s responsibility for the terror attack on the Crimean Bridge last fall was also indirectly confirmed by Ukrainian Security Service Head Vasily Malyuk on May 27. He said that "certain measures" had been implemented to "cut off" Russian logistics.