The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday the launching of a massive strike overnight. The targets included drone workshops, logistics facilities, steel mills, oil infrastructure and military deports in Kiev, Zaporozhye and Krivoy Rog and Odessa regions.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s air force said the barrage included two Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, 258 drones, and an unspecified number of ballistic missiles. The air force claimed that nearly 90% of the drones were downed, as well as one Oniks and seven Iskander ballistic missiles. The Belarus-based Military Summary Channel on YouTube reported that independent analysts believe the latter were actually reconfigured S-400 surface-to-air missiles that the Russians fired as decoys to exhaust Ukraine’s supply of Patriot interceptors without expending Iskander missiles. Acting President Zelensky stated Aug. 25 that Kiev had received a new batch of Patriot interceptors, after weeks of lacking the means to fire at any incoming missiles over Kiev.
