Russia launched another retaliatory strike last overnight, June 1-2, hitting Kiev and six other regions with drones along with hypersonic and ballistic missiles, “Last night, in response to the terrorist actions of the Kiev regime, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike with long-range air-, ground-, and sea-based high-precision weapons, including hypersonic aerial ballistic missiles, attack drones at defence industry enterprises in Kiev, Zaporozhye, Kharkov, and Dnepropetrovsk, as well as in Poltava, Khmelnitsky, and Sumy regions, fuel and transport infrastructure facilities used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and military airfields,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The strike’s objectives were achieved, all the assigned facilities were engaged.”
“It is a completely transparent statement from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected from ballistic and other missile strikes, these strikes will continue,” Zelensky said on Telegram, calling on Western allies to ramp up the supply of ballistic missile interceptors, such as the U.S.-produced Patriot, to Ukraine, reported The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russian forces had launched 73 cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles, as well as 656 attack drones. Of those, 40 missiles and 602 drones were downed or intercepted. Air Force Spokesperson Yuriy Ignat said eight Zircon anti-ship missiles were used in the strike in two waves of four. Thirty ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and 33 attack drones struck 38 locations, the statement added.
Urakinian officials reported four people killed and another 63 wounded.
Ukraine’s national energy operator Ukrenergo said there were power outages in Kiev, and in the Kiev, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Cherkasy regions.
