On August 15, the Russian Air Force launched the biggest missile attack on the western regions of Ukraine during the entire war. In particular, at least 100 houses were damaged in Lviv by falling missile fragments, and 70 apartments burned down. One of the missiles hit a kindergarten. Three civilians dead in Lutsk as a result of the arrival of the missile.
Air defense forces also worked in the Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy Oblasts and in the city of Dnipro. During the attack, the Russians fired 28 Kh-101/Kh-555, Kh-22 and Kalibr cruise missiles, 16 of which were shot down in the air. The nature of the destruction points on a deliberate attack on civilian objects, as target coordinates of the Russian cruise missiles were set in advance. Russia uses terror and crimes against Ukrainian civilians as a tool for waging war. Thus, air defense systems are vital for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it will save the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians. Missile attacks on the rear Ukrainian cities have become an integral part of the war of aggression against Ukraine launched by Russia. The Russian Air Force uses missiles and attack drones to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. The latest missile attack once again confirmed that Putin’s goal is the genocide of Ukrainians, because Russian cruise missiles were aimed at industrial facilities (in Dnipro, Smila and Lutsk), as well as at residential buildings (in Lviv). The probability of deviation of the cruise missiles from their trajectory is minimal. Russian propaganda traditionally interprets shelling of Ukrainian residential buildings as the alleged result of air defense.
However, the damages and the scale of the destruction indicate that they were caused by the hit from the Kh-22 missile, which has a huge destructive power. It is a war crime to use it in a settlement. Russia has turned into a threat to the entire civilized world. The missile terror of Ukrainian cities is an approbation of similar crimes against European cities. It is expected that when it gets cold, the Russian’s attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure will only intensify in another attempt to make life unbearable for Ukrainians. Under such circumstances, the timely provision of air defense and missile defense systems for the Armed Forces is the highest priority. Given the continuous missile terror from the Russian Federation, the sky over Ukraine must be well protected. This is a guarantee of saving the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians.