Only three out of eight Russian Iskander-K cruise missiles launched at Ukraine on the night of 31 July were shot down. This raised questions about why Ukraine’s air defense, usually effective against Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles, failed to destroy most of them, Defense Express reports.
The attack killed 31 civilians in Kyiv, including five children. One of them was only two years old. Despite threat of sanctions from US President Donald Trump, Moscow has no intention of stopping the war. Russia will pay any price for its aggression against Ukraine.
Explosions in Kyiv and a major air raid alert
The key reason is the element of surprise, say the military experts from Defense Express.
“Today’s launches of ‘Iskander-K’ were carried out from Russia’s Kursk Oblasy, practically right at the border, so there was very little time to react and deploy countermeasures,” the analysis states.
The land-based Iskander launchers are harder to detect than ships launching Kalibr missiles or bombers carrying Kh-101s, since those require more flight time and are detected by intelligence before launch.
Iskander-K is a general term for cruise missiles launched from the Iskander tactical missile system. These include the 9M728 (R-500) with a range up to 500 km and the 9M729 with a range up to 1,500 km. Both have a 480 kg warhead and fly at speeds up to 900 km/h.
This year, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate announced Russia’s approximate missile production rates. Currently, Russia can produce about 300 cruise missiles per month, including 20-30 Iskander-K.
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Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has cynically commented on the war in Ukraine for the first time since US President Donald Trump issued his 10-day ultimatum on Russia. Last week, the American president gave Russia ten days to reach a peaceful settlement, threatening massive sanctions if this does not happen by 8 August, UNIAN reports.
Putin sent a clear message that Russian won’t stop its war against Ukraine. Now, it’s up to Trump to take the next promised move and impose sanctions after Moscow killed 31 people in Kyiv on 31 July. The attack is seen as an attempt to humiliate the American president and its efforts to end the war.
Moscow is ready to wait
During a meeting with the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin spoke positively about the negotiations in Turkiye and the prisoner exchanges, stating that Moscow is “ready to wait” if Kyiv is not prepared for talks.
At the same time, he said the Ukrainian political regime “is not based on the Constitution” and supports prolonged negotiations “without any time limits.”
In June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the Kremlin used prisoner exchanges as a tool to delay the negotiation process with Ukraine and dodge sanctions. While sending back Ukrainian prisoners of war, beaten and tortured in captivity, Russia does not agree to any other proposition to end the war.
Putin confirmed that Russia’s conditions for ending the war, announced back in summer 2024, remain unchanged.
Last year, he insisted on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Moscow has illegally incorporated these Ukrainian regions into its Constitution. Additionally, Russia demands that Ukraine renounce NATO membership, enshrine a non-nuclear status, and lift sanctions.
Lukashenko says Zelenskyy should ask Putin to negotiate
In talks with propagandists, Putin boasted about the production of the first serial ballistic missile Oreshnik and the Russian army’s offensive along the entire front line.
In 2024, Russia used a Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) missile armed with conventional warheads to strike Dnipro. While MIRV technology has long been associated with nuclear delivery systems, this marked its first use in combat. The scale of the destruction remains unknown. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia targeted industrial facilities and critical infrastructure in Dnipro.
Meanwhile, Lukashenko urged Zelenskyy “to simply sit down at the negotiating table” with Putin and emphasized that Minsk and Moscow will not kneel because they decisively defend their interests.
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Ukraine is very close to obtaining its own ballistic missiles, Defense Minister Denis Shmygal said in his first interview since taking the position of Defense Minister, BBC Ukraine reported on 30 July.
Denys Shmyhal was appointed Ukraine’s Minister of Defense on 17 July 2025, following his resignation as Prime Minister during a major government reshuffle. His appointment aimed to boost domestic arms production and improve defense management amid ongoing war with Russia.
“Ukraine’s president has already announced that Ukraine will have its own ballistics. We are very close to this. That’s basically all I can say publicly on this matter,” Shmyhal said during the interview.
The announcement comes after former Deputy Defense Minister Anatoliy Klochko said in June that Ukrainians would soon hear “more concrete statements” about Ukrainian ballistics, as the country had made “serious progress” on the issue.
The production of its own ballistic missiles is crucial for Ukraine to enhance its long-range strike potential, deter Russian aggression, and target deep Russian military infrastructure, thereby strengthening its security and defense amid ongoing war.
In his interview for BBC, Shmygal also outlined his vision for bringing Russia to genuine peace talks, emphasizing the need for dual pressure. “I would very much like our partners to help us create sufficient pressure on the Russian aggressor both on the battlefield and through sanctions, and bring them to the negotiating table,” he said.
The minister demonstrated his approach using two hands: “On one side, we must create pressure on the battlefield. There must be weapons supplies that will give us if not an advantage, then parity in this war. On the other side, there must be counter-pressure – sanctions that will financially bleed the enemy.”
“If these two factors are not present, then negotiations may continue, but more likely they will lead us and our partners in circles around this diplomatic negotiating table,” Shmygal said.
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In 2023, a Ukrainian officer named Volodymyr shot down a Russian Su-24MRaircraft with a missile bearing the inscription: “For Artur Batiyi. A true Cossack.” It was an act of revenge for his friend, killed in a Russian assault, the Operational Command West reports.
The Su-24MR is a reconnaissance aircraft used by Russia to detect Ukrainian positions, artillery and missile systems, command posts, and military equipment.
“This was for you, and I hope you saw it,” the soldier recalls the successful strike.
His crew has destroyed over 30 targets, such as jets, a helicopter, a cruise missile, and drones.
But the most unforgettable shot was that one in March 2023.
“That day, I received the devastating news that my friend Artur Batiy had been killed… He died in an enemy mortar attack,” the air defense officer says.
Before the mission, he signed the missile and set out on the hunt with his unit.
“After we hit the target, I looked to the sky, and my first thought was, ‘I did everything I could. That was for you, and I hope you saw it,” he adds.
From student to hero of the sky
Before the war, Volodymyr was a student who dreamed of military service. In 2014, when his family fled occupied Donetsk, he joined the army.
Since 2020, he’s been an officer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. His first shootdown happened at 5:30 a.m. on 24 February 2022.
“The sky turned red. The enemy was everywhere. But there was no fear, only focus,” Volodymyr says.
Dreams of Crimea
For his heroism, Volodymyr has been awarded the Orders For Courage of II and III class, the Medal For Military Service to Ukraine, and a badge For the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft.
His dream after victory is to visit Crimea, where he once walked with his parents “to feel that we endured and reclaimed what’s ours.”
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The US Air Force has announced a search for contractors to develop a new air-launched cruise missile under the working title LACM (Lugged Affordable Cruise Missile). Aviation Week reports, the project is largely based on the concept of the ERAM missile, which is being developed specifically for Ukrainian fighter jets.
According to the requirements, the missile will carry a 227 kg (500 lb) warhead with a multi-mode fuse capable of high penetration. It must be able to strike targets over 450 km away with an accuracy margin of no more than ten meters, even without satellite navigation, flying at around 0.6 Mach.
What sets the LACM apart is its focus on low-altitude flight, no higher than 300 meters, with the ability to strike at angles exceeding 70 degrees. A critical requirement is the ability to mass-produce the missile within two years of the contract’s start, at a cost not exceeding $300,000 per unit.
The missile will be compatible with standard external pylons on fighter jets or internal weapons bays, according to Militarnyi.
At least three potential companies are being considered in the early phase of the LACM program: Anduril (with its Barracuda-500M missile), Zone 5 Technologies (Rusty Dagger), and CoAspire, which is already working on the Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile. However, other manufacturers, including L3Harris, may also join the competition.
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The United Kingdom is buying 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles from arms firm Thales—and plans to donate them to Ukraine. The 13-kg LMM, fired one at a time from a shoulder launcher, ranges as far as 8 km under infrared guidance.
The 5,000 missiles, built at Thales’ Belfast factory, could cost as much as $3.4 billion. The UK government announced it will loan the money to the Ukrainian government—with generous repayment terms spread over 19 years.
The LMM buy, first floated in March, “is not only a major boost to the UK’s defense capabilities but will also keep Ukraine in the fight, boosting their defense against Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion,” the government in London stated.
The Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) with listed specifications.. Photo: Screenshot from a Thales promotional video
But 5,000 missiles alone can’t keep Ukraine in the fight for very long. Russia is already overwhelming Ukraine’s air-defenses with vast numbers of explosive drones.
The LMM is just the thing to shoot down a relatively low- and slow-flying target such as Russia’s 200-kg Shahed attack drones, which range thousands of miles with 90-kg warheads.
In three years, Russia has launched around 29,000 Shaheds—also known as Gerans—at Ukrainian positions and cities.
Ukrainian forces shot down or jammed most of them. But Ukraine’s air-defenses are running low—and new models of the 440-pound, propeller-driven drone have additional satellite navigation receivers, making them jam-resistant.
28th Mechanized Brigade LMM team. 28th Mechanized Brigade photo.
Meanwhile, the pace of Shahed launches is increasing—meaning more and more of the drones are striking their targets … and killing or maiming Ukrainians.
Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight crunched the numbers. “The 2,736 drones launched in June, many targeting Kyiv, make up nearly 10% of the total” number of Shaheds launched since Russia widened its war on Ukraine.
This proves “growing production,” explained the Frontelligence Insight’s founder, Tatarigami.
“This aligns with earlier warnings from Ukrainian intelligence, which estimated Russia’s monthly output at around 2,700 Shahed-type UAVs and roughly 2,500 decoys,” Tatarigami noted. The decoys distract Ukrainian defenses, helping the armed Shaheds reach their targets.
In August 2024, Ukrainian officials said Russia was producing about 500 Shaheds a month. “Since then, output has multiplied, and the drones have become deadlier: the warhead weight has increased from 50 kg to 90 kg, and maneuverability has improved,” Tatarigami wrote.
Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, warned that Shahed production could soon exceed 1,000 per day. “I’m not intimidating anyone,” Brovdi wrote. His warning is based on “analysis of the intelligence,” he said.
“The growing scale is a serious problem for Ukraine,” Tatarigami intoned.
Ukraine’s mobile gun team. Photo: Ukraine’s Air Force via Facebook
Ukraine is shooting down the drones with mobile gun teams, surface-to-air missile batteries, fighter jets, gunship helicopters and interceptor drones. It’s also sending them off course with electronic warfare systems.
But the sheer number of drones overwhelms Ukraine’s defenses. Part of the problem is that many of the munitions the Ukrainians use to down the Shaheds are more expensive than the drones are.
An LMM costs more than $500,000. A Shahed costs $200,000. 5,000 LMMs costing $3.4 billion, if they struck 100% of the time, would be enough to destroy a few weeks worth of Shaheds costing $1 billion.
For the Ukrainians, “it’s not just about increasing production” of anti-drone systems, “but also about reducing the cost per interception—making it much cheaper to intercept drones than to manufacture them,” Tatarigami explained.
Jammed Russian drone. Photo: Ukraine’s Air Force
The cheapest defense is jamming. It costs roughly $8 million to surround a city with jammers such as the Night Watch electronic warfare team’s Lima. The few cities that have enjoyed Night Watch’s protection have suffered almost no Shahed strikes for months at a time.
The Russians can jam-proof a drone by adding more antennas for satellite navigation, compelling the Ukrainians to add more channels to their jammers—or risk the electronic defenses failing. Right now, the Russians are evolving their drones faster than the Ukrainians are evolving their jammers, the Night Watch rep admitted.
Asked if Ukraine was losing the war on the Shaheds, a representative of Ukraine’s Night Watch electronic warfare team responded simply. “Yes, it is.”
5,000 missiles that cost slightly too much for anti-Shahed duty may not change that.
Explore further
Ukraine’s perfect German missiles never miss—but Russia’s drone factories never sleep
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Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets claimed the United Nations had finally accused Russia of the Olenivka prison massacre that killed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). The problem? No such UN report exists.
The Olenivka attack occurred on the night of 28-29 July 2022 in occupied Donetsk Oblast, when an explosion destroyed a barracks housing Ukrainian prisoners of war, including defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. At least 50 Ukrainian soldiers died and approximately 130 were wounded. Witnesses inside the prison reported two blasts and noted that wounded POWs received no medical aid, leading to additional deaths due to blood loss during a prolonged evacuation. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office claimed that the explosion was caused by Russian forces firing a thermobaric grenade launcher, while Russian sources blamed Ukraine for launching a HIMARS missile.
Lubinets posted the news 30 June with obvious satisfaction. “Finally, things are called by their proper names!” he wrote, linking to what he said was a UN investigation proving Russia planned and executed the attack on the correctional colony.
A screenshot from a video shared by Russian sources shows the aftermath of the attack on Olenivka prison in occupied Donetsk Oblast in July 2022 that killed at least 50 Ukrainian POWs.
Mysterious international center investigated Olenivka massacre
Journalists at Slidstvo.Info followed Lubinets’ link and found something odd. The source was the Centre for Human Rights in Armed Conflict—an organization that explicitly denies any UN connection. Right on their website: “We are not affiliated with the United Nations or any other intergovernmental or governmental organization.”
The website was created on 22 May 2025, and contains only the single investigation about Olenivka with no other publications or detailed organizational information.
“We conduct thorough investigations into violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during armed conflicts, with a current focus on Ukraine and Gaza, to help establish the truth and bring perpetrators to justice,” the organization’s description on the website states.
Who runs the Centre? Nobody knows. No headquarters, no leadership names, no country of operation listed.
When Slidstvo.Info contacted Lubinets’ office, his team quickly backtracked. “Unfortunately, the Ombudsman’s Secretariat did not conduct proper verification,” they admitted, removing the post and promising “enhanced control over published information.”
The Centre itself later confirmed none of its report authors worked for the UN. They described themselves as “international experts who prefer not to reveal their identities” operating without a permanent headquarters and claiming none of its experts are located in Ukraine or Russia.
UN finds Russia responsible, but avoids public blame
The incident highlights confusion surrounding the actual status of UN investigations into the July 2022 Olenivka attack. According to Associated Press reporting, an internal UN analysis does conclude that Russia was responsible for planning and carrying out the attack, but this 100-page document was never intended for public release and does not constitute an official UN accusation.
Explore further
AP: UN investigation finds Olenivka attack planned by Russia
The UN analysis examined 70 open-source images, 20 statements from Russian officials, 16 interviews with survivors broadcast on Russian television, and conducted detailed interviews with 55 released prisoners of war. The analysis determined the missile flew from east to west, contradicting Russian claims that Ukraine struck the facility with HIMARS missiles.
However, the UN dissolved its official investigation mission five months after the tragedy because Russia refused to guarantee expert safety.
Can Ukraine get justice for Olenivka? Currently, only Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating. No active international probe exists among the tens of thousands of war crimes cases.
Meanwhile, the mysterious Centre for Human Rights in Armed Conflict says it plans to publish reports on civilian casualties in Mariupol and Ukrainian military deaths since the full-scale war began —though their credibility remains questionable after the Olenivka controversy.
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Ukraine's security service (SBU) has charged in absentia a former defense engineer with treason, accusing him of helping Russia target Ukrainian cities by developing navigation systems for cruise and ballistic missiles, the SBU said on June 25.
According to the agency, Oleh Borsuk, a 61-year-old Ukrainian national, fled to Russia in 2009 after resigning from a defense plant in Cherkasy Oblast. He later became deputy general director of Moscow-based design bureau "Navis," a major player in Russia's military-industrial complex.
Borsuk allegedly oversaw the development and modernization of satellite guidance systems (GPS/GLONASS) used in Russian missiles. In 2023 alone, under his leadership, nearly 3,200 satellite navigation units were produced, including those for Iskander tactical missile systems, the SBU said.
These systems are also used in missiles like the Kh-101, Kh-59, and Kalibr — weapons frequently deployed in Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
The deadliest attacks include the July 8, 2024, strike on the Okhmatdyt children hospital in Kyiv, which killed two adults, including a doctor, and injured more than 50 people, including children. The hospital was hit by a Kh-101 cruise missile in accordance with a programmed route.
Another devastating strike occurred on June 17, when a massive missile and drone assault on Kyiv killed 30 people and injured 172 others. One of the deadliest impacts was a direct hit on a residential building by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile, which caused the complete collapse of an entire section of the nine-story residential building.
According to a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force Yurii Ihnat, the building was struck by a Kh-101 missile.
The SBU has charged Borsuk in absentia under Ukraine's Criminal Code for treason committed under martial law.
"Since the perpetrator is hiding in the territory of the Russian Federation, comprehensive measures are underway to bring him to justice for crimes against our state," the SBU said.
Russia's weapons arsenal includes over 1,950 strategic missiles and thousands of drones, the news outlet RBC-Ukraine reported on June 21, citing a statement from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
According to HUR, the figures reflect Russia's stockpiles as of June 15.
Throughout May and June, Russia has launched a series of mass missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities — including a large-scale strike against Kyiv on June 17 that left 30 dead and over 170 injured. Russia has repeatedly shattered its own drone record in attacks on Ukraine in the past month.
Russia's missile stocks include up to 500 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, HUR told RBC-Ukraine, as well as up to 150 hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Moscow also has up to 60 North Korean-made KN-23 ballistic missiles.
In addition to ballistics, Russia possesses up to 300 Iskander-K cruise missiles, up to 260 Kh-101 cruise missiles, up to 280 Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles, and over 400 Kalibr cruise missiles.
Russia produces up to 195 missiles per month, HUR said.
Moscow also aims to ramp up drone production from 170 to 190 units per day, according to HUR. As of June 15, Russia had over 6,000 Shahed-type attack drones and over 6,000 Gerberas, a cheap decoy version that imitates the Shahed.
Russia's arsenal highlights Ukraine's urgent need for additional air defense systems, something President Volodymyr Zelensky has been continuously lobbying Western partners to provide.
Zelensky announced on June 20 that Ukraine is boosting production of interceptor drones to combat the growing numbers of Shahed UAVs launched by Russia each night. Ukraine is also producing its own missiles and recently announced that its domestically produced Sapsan ballistic missile had entered serial production.
The president hopes to secure additional funding for defense production from allies at the upcoming NATO summit.
Russia has paired its intensifying nightly attacks with escalated rhetoric about its territorial ambitions in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 20 declared that "all of Ukraine" belongs to Russia, suggesting the Kremlin is looking to expand its illegal occupation .
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it used a new method to breach Israel's air defenses during a missile attack early on June 16, that killed at least eight people, Reuters reports.
According to the IRGC, Iranian missiles were guided in a way that caused Israeli interceptor missiles to target each other, confusing Israel's integrated defense system, which includes Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow platforms.
It did not provide any further details.
Ballistic missiles are rocket-powered and are launched high into the atmosphere before arcing back down onto their target.
They're only guided during the initial stages of launch, so they can be less accurate than cruise missiles, but have the advantage of reaching incredibly high speeds – sometimes more than 3,200 kilometers per hour – as they approach their targets.
Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) reported for the first time that its systems had an 80-90% success rate intercepting Iran's ballistic missiles, while roughly 5-10% penetrated the shield and struck populated areas, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The strike came three days after Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killing several high-ranking officials, including IRGC aerospace commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Kyiv has expressed support for Israel, describing Iran as a "source of instability in the region and beyond," citing Tehran's extensive military cooperation with Russia.
Since 2022, Iran has supplied Moscow with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones and short-range ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine. Russia, for its part, has condemned the Israeli air strikes on Iran as "unprovoked aggression" and backed calls for restraint.
Israel is home to one of the largest Russian-speaking populations outside the former Soviet Union, with approximately 1 million people — or 15% of the total population — identifying as Russian-speaking. Israel has historically maintained relatively friendly ties with Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 15 that he is considering Russian President Vladimir Putin as a possible mediator between Israel and Iran.
As of June 16, Iran's Health Ministry claims 224 people have been killed since the Israeli air campaign began on June 13 — 90% of them civilians, according to Tehran. Israel has not confirmed the civilian casualty figure, and independent verification remains difficult.
Ukraine’s domestically developed short-range Sapsan ballistic missile has successfully completed combat testing and is in the process of serial production, Ukrainian media reported on June 13.
The missile, with a payload of 480 kg, completed testing in May after successfully striking a Russian military target at a range of nearly 300 km, Valentyn Badrak, head of the an independent Ukrainian think Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies told Liga.net.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry reportedly dedicated a department to formulate and test the missile.
There is no reported timeline as to when the missiles can be seen in regular use on the battlefield.
Domestically produced long-range weapons are of key importance to Ukraine's defense strategy, as Western partners have been slowin delivering adequate weaponry amid increasing Russian attacks and offensives.
The news comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a congressional hearing on June 10 that the United States will reduce funding allocated for military assistance to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget
In November 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has produced its first 100 missiles.
Since then, Ukraine has continued to increase domestic weapon production. Zelensky said on April 16 that over 40%of the weapons used at the front line are now produced in Ukraine, including over 95% of drones used at front line.
Zelensky also previously revealed that Ukraine had developed another domestic-made weapon, a missile-drone Palianytsia.
As Ukraine attempt to increase its defense production, Russia has continued to unleash large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities, regularly launching hundreds of drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) sharedwith the Kyiv Independent that Russia's production of ballistic missiles has increased by at least 66% over the past year.
Russian monthly missile production (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in late 2024 that Ukraine also resumed and scaled up serial production of Neptune cruise missiles, modifying them to have a greater range.
Kyiv has received a number of long-range missiles from partners, such as U.S.-made ATACMS, British Storm Shadow, or French SCALP/T. Despite Ukrainian requests, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saidon June 12 that Berlin has no plans to provide Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv.
Connexion
![A woman with a sign saying "Olenivka = Osvencimas [Auschwitz]" during a protest about Ukrainian POWs killed Russian colony.](https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Azovstla6-1-1024x576.jpg)
