Overnight on November 25, Ukraine’s Air Force said Patriot air defense systems were used to intercept Russian missiles headed for Kyiv, destroying four targets. Some other missiles missed their targets due to different Ukrainian weapons, whose deployment the military is keeping confidential.
The night was “difficult” and required intense work for Ukraine’s Defense Forces repelling the Russian air assault, said Yurii Ihnat, chief of communications for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, on the national news broadcast. Russia attacked in two waves, one of which included a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile. Air-defense drones and army aviation played a prominent role. The Patriot battery took out about half the ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv.
“Today, three ballistic missiles that were headed for the capital were shot down. It’s clear what brought them down: Patriot systems engaged Iskander-Ms today. There was also an intercept of one Kinzhal,” Ihnat said.
He noted that some missiles did not fall into the “downed” category but also failed to hit their targets. He did not specify which air-defense assets disrupted their flight.
“As for the other missiles that aren’t in the ‘downed’ statistics: not all reached their [targets], let’s put it that way. We’re not going to give the enemy extra information right now. The situation on those missiles is being clarified,” he said.
On the morning of November 25, the Air Force Command reported results from repelling missiles and drones Russia fired at Kyiv.
The capital was threatened by seven ballistic missiles — four Kh-47M2 Kinzhals and three Iskander-Ms. According to the report, all three Iskander ballistic missiles and one of the four Kinzhals were shot down. In addition, Russia launched 15 cruise missiles: air defenses downed five of seven Iskander-Ks and five of eight Kalibr missiles.
By midday on November 25, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported casualties and damage from the strike on the capital. As of 12 p.m., seven people were confirmed dead. Four were drivers who were near a Novus retail warehouse, local media reported. Apartment buildings in three Kyiv districts were damaged. One of the buildings is a 22-story high-rise, where a drone slammed between the third and fourth floors. An infographic of missile and drone trajectories showed most of the weapons were aimed at the capital, with fewer targeting Odesa.
