Russia fired 681 weapons at Ukraine on June 15. Air defense stopped the cheap ones.
Russia's June 15 barrage put 681 weapons over Ukraine and set the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra ablaze. Ukraine stopped almost every drone and cruise missile, and barely half the ballistics.
Russia's June 15 barrage put 681 weapons over Ukraine and set the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra ablaze. Ukraine stopped almost every drone and cruise missile, and barely half the ballistic ones.
Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones at Ukraine overnight into June 15, one of its largest combined assaults of the war, the Times of India wrote, citing Ukraine's military. Air defenses downed 632 of the 681 weapons. Fire spread across the roof of the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and 140,000 residents lost power, United24 Media reported. At least 11 people were killed, including five rescuers struck in Kharkiv during firefighting, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said.
The intercept breakdown splits by speed. Ukraine's Air Force stopped all 30 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles, five of six Zircon anti-ship missiles, and 582 of 611 drones, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing the Air Force tally. It stopped 15 of 34 Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles. Twenty ballistic missiles and 27 drones hit 42 locations. A Shahed flies low and slow enough for a fighter, a mobile gun team, or a cheap interceptor drone to catch. An Iskander-M re-enters at several times the speed of sound, and the only system in Ukraine's inventory that reliably kills one is the US Patriot firing PAC-3 interceptors, which are scarce and cost millions of dollars a shot.
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Subscribe Free →The June 2 barrage of 729 weapons broke down the same way, with drones and cruise missiles mostly stopped and ballistics mostly through. Ukraine answered the June 15 attack with its own long-range drones, striking an oil facility in Yaroslavl and the Azot chemical plant in Tula, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Kyiv can now reach deep into Russia with drones in the tens of thousands of dollars, while it cannot defend its own capital against ballistic missiles without interceptors the Trump administration has stopped supplying. Ukraine's drone war has Russia on the back foot, but Kyiv still needs US interceptors to stop the ballistic strikes, columnist Trudy Rubin argued in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Air Force warned on June 12 that Russia was likely to fire an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, a weapon Ukraine has no answer for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many missiles and drones did Russia launch at Ukraine on June 15?
Ukraine's military logged 681 weapons: 70 missiles and 611 drones, one of the largest combined assaults of the war, per the Times of India. Air defenses downed 632 of them, while 20 ballistic missiles and 27 drones hit 42 locations, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Why could Ukraine stop the drones and cruise missiles but not the ballistic ones?
According to the Air Force tally cited by the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine downed all 30 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles, five of six Zircons, and 582 of 611 drones, but only 15 of 34 Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles. Cruise missiles and Shaheds fly low and slow enough to engage; ballistic missiles re-enter at several times the speed of sound, and only the US Patriot firing PAC-3 interceptors reliably stops them.
What was hit at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra?
Fire spread across the roof of the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and 140,000 residents lost power, United24 Media reported. Russia denied targeting the cathedral and claimed it was struck by a US Patriot missile, per Euronews.
How many people were killed?
At least 11, including five State Emergency Service rescuers killed in Kharkiv by a repeated strike during firefighting, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said, per Euronews. Five were killed in Kyiv, where 30 people were wounded, and one in Kherson.
Did Ukraine strike back?
Yes. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces struck an oil facility in Russia's Yaroslavl region and the Azot chemical plant in Tula overnight, per the Times of India, part of a long-range campaign against Russian energy and military-industrial sites.
What is the interceptor gap?
Ukraine has largely closed the cheap end of the air war with fighters, gun teams, and low-cost interceptor drones, but the only system that reliably kills ballistic missiles is the scarce, multimillion-dollar US Patriot. Columnist Trudy Rubin argued in the Philadelphia Inquirer that Ukraine's drone war has Russia on the back foot but Kyiv still needs US interceptors to stop the ballistic strikes.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.