Ukraine Downed 31 of 32 Cruise Missiles. It Downed Two Ballistics.
The Sept. 8 barrage that ended the envoy pause isolated the one air-defense gap Kyiv now wants American interceptors and European money to close.
The Sept. 8 barrage that ended the envoy pause isolated the one air-defense gap Kyiv now wants American interceptors and European money to close.
Russia struck Kyiv and Odesa oblasts from 6 p.m. Sept. 7 through the night, Ukraine's Air Force said. The strikes broke a three-day halt on attacks against the capital that Vladimir Putin ordered for the visit of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, announced by the Kremlin on Sept. 6. Two people were killed and 10 injured in Kyiv, per Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Later counts put the dead at three.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Russia launch at Ukraine on the night of Sept. 8?
Oniks anti-ship missiles, Iskander-M, S-400 and KN-23 ballistic missiles, 32 Kh-101 cruise missiles and 166 Shahed-type drones with Parodiya decoys, launched from four Russian regions and occupied Crimea, according to Ukraine's Air Force. More than half the drones were jet-powered.
How many did Ukraine intercept?
By 8:30 a.m. air defenses had downed or suppressed 175 targets: 142 drones, 31 cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles, the Air Force said. Strikes were recorded at 29 locations.
Why does the ballistic number matter more than the others?
Ukraine stopped 97 percent of the cruise missiles and 86 percent of the drones, but the Air Force gave no launch total for ballistics and only two came down. President Volodymyr Zelensky said results against cruise missiles were "very good" while ballistics remain particularly difficult.
Why did the strikes resume that night?
They ended a three-day halt on attacks against Kyiv that Vladimir Putin ordered for the visit of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which the Kremlin announced on Sept. 6.
What is Ukraine asking allies to supply?
Ballistic-missile interceptors. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said those stocks have run critically low. Britain committed £100 million for air-defense interceptors including Patriot funding, artillery rounds and drones through NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, per the Kyiv Independent.
What is FREYJA?
A Ukrainian-led pan-European project to build an anti-ballistic interceptor, still in development. Zelensky said 67 Ukrainian companies are working on interceptors, of which three to five have real results.
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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.