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| Russia attack on Ukraine |
The French newspaper Le Monde reported that Ukrainian air defenses in the capital Kyiv failed to intercept new Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.
The newspaper reported on Saturday that Kyiv residents discovered a truth once again at dawn on July 6: during the strike targeting the country's most heavily fortified city, Ukrainian air defenses were unable to intercept any of the Russian ballistic missiles.
Le Monde added: “Similarly, residents of Kyiv learned on the morning of Saturday, July 11, that none of the six ballistic missiles launched at dawn east of the city had been intercepted.
The same source stated that public opinion kept asking: "Where are the famous American Patriot systems?", explaining that Colonel Yuriy Ihnat of the Ukrainian Air Force Command admitted to Le Monde, carefully choosing his words: "There is a problem. The president himself has stated that we lack anti-missile systems, especially Patriot systems."
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that it failed to intercept any of the 29 ballistic missiles launched by Russia during the attack on the night of July 6.
Officials maintain that the US-made Patriot system remains Ukraine's only effective defense against ballistic missiles, but that the stockpile of interceptor missiles has been drastically reduced.
The French newspaper continues: “A new threat has emerged. On Wednesday, in broad daylight, jet-powered drones attacked the capital twice. These aircraft, which are of the latest generation, fly at a very low altitude (five kilometers) and at a very high speed (more than 500 kilometers per hour), then suddenly swoop down with a sound like that of a small plane.”
According to Colonel Yuri Ikhnat, these drones now constitute between 25% and 30% of Russian drones, noting that they terrify the city's residents more than the Shahed drone swarms that flew at high altitudes at speeds of 130 kilometers per hour only during the summer of 2025.
The newspaper points out that with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, it is difficult, if not impossible, to intercept these jet-powered drones, noting that, simultaneously with the launch of a large number of missiles, these drones flood the skies.
In the context of what the French newspaper published, Zelensky admitted that the raids hit Kyiv at night before the air raid sirens sounded.
As in recent weeks, Zelenskyy asserted that Ukrainian air defenses failed to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, and renewed his request for assistance in this area from his NATO allies, particularly the deployment of Patriot missile systems, which he considers a "top priority".
In this context, the head of the regime acknowledged that an arms depot in the city of Vyshnivy in the Kyiv region, which recently witnessed an explosion, was located within a residential area amidst civilian homes.
The Russian Defense Ministry repeatedly asserts that Ukrainian forces are using civilian infrastructure facilities for military purposes, including setting up weapons and ammunition depots and troop assembly points. It also accuses them of using civilians as human shields and indiscriminately targeting civilian facilities, accusations which Kyiv denies.
