From 01:40 to 03:45 at night on February 16, 2023, russian terrorists launched another massive missile attack on critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. The enemy used 32 air and sea-based missiles, the air defense forces destroyed 16 of the 32 missiles. This was reported by Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

12 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from two Tu-95ms strategic bombers from the Caspian Sea area, 8 Kalibr cruise missiles from a frigate from the Black Sea area, 12 Kh-22 cruise missiles from six Tu-22m3 long-range bombers from the Kursk region and two Kh-59 guided air missiles from two Su-35 tactical aircraft from the Melitopol region.

Massive missile strike on the night of February 16, 2023: Kh-22, Kh-101/Kh-555, Kh-59 and Kalibr. Only 16 out of 32 missiles were destroyed

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 14 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, Kalibr and two Kh-59 guided air missiles. Such a low percentage of interception of air targets, compared to previous attacks, is due to the use of a large number of long-range Kh-22 Burya supersonic cruise missiles.

This Soviet missile (produced since 1962), of which the terrorist country still has many, has a maximum speed of up to Mach 4.6 (5,600 km/h) and a flight height of up to 25 km. A high-rise building in Dnipro was hit by such a missile on January 14, 2023. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Russian aggressors have launched more than 210 missiles of this type, and Ukraine’s air defenses have failed to shoot down any of them. Effective countermeasures against Kh-22 missiles require Patriot PAC-3 or SAMP-T air defense systems.

Massive missile strike on the night of February 16, 2023: Kh-22, Kh-101/Kh-555, Kh-59 and Kalibr. Only 16 out of 32 missiles were destroyed

Unfortunately, most of the Kh-22s achieved their goals, hitting critical infrastructure facilities in the north and west of Ukraine, as well as in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Kirovohrad regions.

On the eve of the terrorist attack on February 13-14, 2023, the Russians used balloons with angle reflectors and surveillance drones to detect air defense systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and increase the effectiveness of strikes.

To combat such threats, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine need more modern means of medium- and long-range air defense.

Massive missile strike on the night of February 16, 2023: Kh-22, Kh-101/Kh-555, Kh-59 and Kalibr. Only 16 out of 32 missiles were destroyed

We should remind that the Kh-22 missiles and their missile carriers were in service with the Ukrainian Air Force as part of the long-range aviation group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2000, Ukraine gave Russia 386 Kh-22 missiles as debt payment for cheap gas for the population. These missiles are now destroying Ukrainians who “saved money” in the 1990s.

The rest of Ukrainian Kh-22 missiles and Tu-22 bombers (60 aircraft and 401 missiles) were destroyed in 2002-2006 in accordance with the Agreement between Ukraine and the United States on Assistance to Ukraine in the Elimination of Strategic Nuclear Arms and the Prevention of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.