Kiev’s military administration described the barrage of attacks that the Ukrainian capital was subjected to at dawn on May 16 as “exceptional” in its intensity. However, local authorities say its Western-supplied air defense system intercepted dozens of missiles, mitigating the damage. Moscow claims it hit “all targets” and destroyed a US-made Patriot air defense system with a hypersonic missile.
Emergency sirens woke Kiev residents at 2:30 a.m. local time on May 16 and loud booms were heard soon after as Ukrainian air defenses intercepted the approaching missiles.
Fire lit up the sky and car alarms went off as explosions rang out. It was one of the biggest attacks since Vladimir Putin ordered war 15 months ago.
Russian troops they combined the launch of missiles by air, sea and land, from the north, south and eastin an apparent attempt to quell Ukraine’s air defenses.
Moscow fired at least six Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles from MiG-31K fighter jets, nine cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three land-based S-400 cruise missiles. They all aimed at the capital, confirmed the spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat.
The Russians then launched Iranian-made Shahed attack drones and conducted aerial reconnaissance, Ihnat added.
Flashes and explosions were seen over the skyline in Kyiv in what a Ukrainian official described as an ‘exceptional’ air raid by Russia with ‘the maximum number of attack missiles in the shortest period of time’ https://t.co/ZnNPBTxPrt pic.twitter.com/0BePoVGYUm
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 16, 2023
It was a massive attack and “exceptional” in its intensity by employing the greatest number of missiles in a short periodstressed the head of the kyiv military administration, Serhii Popko.
But the air defense equipment supplied by the West to the invaded nation showed its high effectiveness. The cCommander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, assured that Kiev intercepted and shot down at least 18 Russian rockets and drones launched against the city, as well as six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles – the most powerful long-range weapon in the Kremlin’s arsenal – nine cruise missiles, three ballistic missiles , six kamikaze drones and three unmanned aerial vehicles.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov called the response of his forces an “incredible success”. “Russian terrorists have no chance of prevailing over Ukraine. Their weapons can and must be countered by Western ones,” he stated.
Despite the fact that the air defenses mitigated the magnitude of damage and victims, in the last hours the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitaliy Klitschko, pointed out that three people died in the Solomyan district due to falling debris.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of May 16, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/GYGA40LSMF
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 16, 2023
Parts of buildings collapsed in various locations and fires broke out amid the explosions, which have already been extinguished by rescue teams.
This It is the eighth time so far in May that Russian attacks have targeted the capital of its neighboring country, a clear escalation of the conflict after weeks of relative calm in that area of Ukraine. Moscow increases its rebuke in the face of an announced counteroffensive by the local Army, with which it promises to recover dozens of territories seized by Kremlin troops.
Russia claims it hit “all targets” in its spate of assaults
From Moscow, the authorities deliver a “positive” part of their actions on Ukrainian soil.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its military destroyed a Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system.American-made, with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
According to the Kremlin, its operation achieved “all objectives.” Russia, widely accused of attacking Ukrainian civilians, something it insists on denying, assured that the assaults on Tuesday were directed against combat units and ammunition storage sites.
US officials interviewed by local television pointed out that these attacks appear to be an attempt by Moscow to destroy the new Patriot air defense systems, supplied by Washington, which arrived in the attacked country a few weeks ago.
The government of Volodymyr Zelensky has received at least two Patriot systems, from the US and Germany, which have significantly improved Ukrainian air defenses that allow Kiev to intercept more modern Russian missiles, such as the Kinzhal.
Military experts point out that the invaded nation’s strengthened air defenses have deterred Russian planes from entering Ukraine and have influenced the current course of the war, in which Kiev aims not just to defend itself, but to counterattack against the Army. most powerful in the world.
But while air defense systems provided by the Western allies have helped counter the destruction in the capital, the same is not true in the rest of the country. At least seven civilians were killed and 14 wounded in Russian shelling in the regions over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Presidency said.
Moscow ramps up the onslaught as Europe and China try to exert influence
The latest Russian attacks come just one day after Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski concluded his whirlwind tour of Europe, in which he managed to add more support in military equipment for his Army.
One of the biggest commitments came from the United Kingdom, which confirmed to Zelensky his promise to send long-range Storm Shadow missiles, with a range of more than 250 kilometers.
The British press highlights that the Ukrainian forces would already be using this type of projectile to attack the Russian command and control centers.
London also promised to deliver long-range attack drones to kyiv in the coming months.
France, for its part, indicated that it will send dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks to the attacked nation, including AMX-10RC combat vehicles.
The Kremlin described these endorsements for its former ally in the former Soviet Union as “extremely negative.” In fact, on Monday, a day before the new onslaught, he threatened “greater destruction.”
The barrage of Russian aggressions also occurred when the summit begins of the 46-nation Council of Europe, the continent’s main human rights body, which will run until Wednesday, May 17.
The two-day meeting in Iceland seeks to establish a way to record the damage in Ukraine caused by Moscow’s troops, backed for months by the Wagner mercenary group. The meeting is aimed at filing compensation claims against the Kremlin.
At the same time, China is trying to launch its role as a mediator in the conflict, although it is seen with little credibility from Europe and the United States due to the closeness that the government of President Xi Jinping has shown with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, especially in recent months.
Even so, Beijing is preparing to send Ukraine to Li Hui, former Chinese ambassador in Moscow, to try to promote the 12-point peace plan proposed last February by the Xi Administration, which has already been rejected by the Western allies.
On his tour, Li Hui will also visit Poland, France and Germany, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Chinese government insists on showing itself as a neutral actor in the conflict and expresses its interest in playing a role as a mediator in the biggest conflict on European soil since World War II, but with its political support for Moscow, for now, it seems unlikely. May that role thrive.
With Reuters, AP and local media
