The 27th Pechersk Brigade’s mobile air defense fire unit shot down an enemy cruise missile in Kyiv Oblast with nothing more than machine guns during the massive Russian attack on Ukraine on Dec. 29, the National Guard reported on Facebook on Dec. 30.
The unit detected the target moving towards Kyiv and opened fire on it. They were able to score a hit on the missile, damaging the missile’s fuel tank, which exploded. The missile’s warhead did not detonate once it crashed, the National Guard concluded after examining the missile’s debris.
Read also: 31 civilians killed, 130+ injured as Russia unleashes largest missile and drone attack of the war
The National Guard’s mobile fire units are specifically designed to counter air strikes and can shoot down missiles and kamikaze drones. This, combined with the effective work of air defense units, allows to increase the number of intercepted air targets, the National Guard explained.
Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack against Ukraine overnight on Dec. 29. Explosions rang out in many larger cities, such as Kyiv and Dnipro, and smaller ones, such as Konotop.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that air defense forces shot down 87 cruise missiles and 27 Shahed drones.
Dec. 30 was declared a day of mourning in Odesa and Zaporizhzhya oblasts and the city of Dnipro.
Read also: Video emerges of Russian missile strike on Odesa apartment that killed at least two civilians
Kyiv also declared a day of mourning on Jan. 1, with 16 people reported dead while the rubble of a warehouse in the capital’s Shevchenkivskyi district is still being cleared.
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David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
