WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says Russia has fired five Zircon missiles at Kyiv this year

Russia has used five of its new hypersonic Zircon missiles to attack Kyiv since the start of the year, the city's military administration said on Monday.

The attacks are among more than 180 Russian missile and drone attacks launched against the Ukrainian capital in the first three months of the year, the administration said in a post on Telegram.

The sea-based Zircon missiles have a range of 1,000 km (625 miles) and travel at nine times the speed of sound, Russia says. Military analysts have said the missiles' hypersonic speed could mean greatly reduced reaction time for air defences and a capability to attack large, deep and hardened targets.

President Vladimir Putin confirmed in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Feb. 29 that Russia had used Zircon missiles in battle, without saying what sites had been targeted. He has described the Zircon as part of a new generation of unrivalled arms systems.

The Kyiv administration said the city had also been struck since the start of 2024 by six other types of missiles, including the Kh-101, an air-launched cruise missile of which 113 had so far been fired.

Russia also fired 11 Kinzhal missiles, another hypersonic weapon which travels at several times the speed of sound, at the Ukrainian capital this year, it said.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow. Russia regularly announces missile strikes on Ukraine against what it says are military and energy targets, though some missiles have also hit civilian buildings.

Over the past two weeks, Russia has escalated its long-range bombardment of power and gas infrastructure across Ukraine, causing significant damage and blackouts in several large cities.

It has also sought to hit political, military and manufacturing targets in Kyiv throughout the two years of its full-scale war against Ukraine.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian troops destroy another American Abrams tank in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian troops destroyed another US-made Abrams tank of the Ukrainian army in the Avdeyevka area, taking better positions and repulsing two enemy counterattacks over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"The enemy lost as many as 295 personnel, a US-made Abrams tank, 5 armored combat vehicles and 5 motor vehicles. In counter-battery fire, the following targets were destroyed: a Grad multiple rocket launcher, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system, 2 D-30 howitzers and a US-manufactured M119 artillery gun," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center units took more advantageous positions and inflicted casualties on the Ukrainian army’s 47th mechanized, 59th motorized infantry, 68th jaeger and 25th air assault brigades near the settlements of Pervomaiskoye, Berdychi, Tonenkoye and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces repulsed two counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 24th mechanized brigade near the settlements of Leninskoye and Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic, it said.

Russian forces destroy 30 Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk area over past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area, destroying roughly 30 enemy troops and 7 pieces of military hardware over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, Western Battlegroup units operating in interaction with operational-tactical aircraft inflicted damage on amassed manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 60th mechanized brigade and 4th tank brigade near the settlements of Yampolovka and Terny in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy’s losses amounted to 30 personnel, 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 motor vehicles and a Polish-manufactured Krab-self-propelled artillery gun," the ministry said.

Reuters/Tass