Russia could have launched more missiles, latest strike ‘kind of training’ – Ukraine’s air force

Russia’s latest missile attack on Ukraine could have been more massive given the number of aircraft deployed, Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television on Monday.

Russia's strategic bombers fired a total of 18 missiles overnight, but could have fired much more since one Tu-95MS is capable of carrying at least eight missiles, Mr Ihnat explained.

He added that Russia was targeting military facilities and critical infrastructure.

"If they could afford more missiles, they would have launched more – potentially, given the number of aircraft," the spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force said.

"This is a kind of training for their strategic aviation. This time, each aircraft fired approximately one missile."

Out of the 18 X-101/X-555 air-launched cruise missiles that Russia launched, Ukraine’s air defence forces and capabilities destroyed 15 targets, Ukraine’s top general Valerii Zaluzhnyi said earlier.

In the Dnipro region, an industrial enterprise in the city of Pavlohrad was hit, leaving 25 people injured, including three children, and a number of residential buildings damaged.

It was the second missile attack on Ukraine in a week, following an almost two months’ pause.

A multi-storey residential building was hit in the city of Uman, in the central Cherkasy region, on Friday, leaving 23 people dead, including six children.