A Ukrainian air defense brigade used the newly delivered German IRIS-T air defense system to destroy seven Russian cruise missiles during its first operational engagement by the unit, Militarnyi reported on 13 June. The Lviv-based anti-aircraft missile brigade achieved a new record during the battle, surpassing its previous results under Soviet-era systems.

Brigade intercepts every target with German system

According to the brigade’s commander Vitalii, the unit intercepted seven Russian cruise missiles during a large-scale missile and aviation assault.

“While repelling the massive missile and air strike, seven Russian cruise missiles entered our kill zone. We destroyed them one by one,” he said.

This marked the first combat use of IRIS-T by the brigade, and the results immediately exceeded their past performance. 

S-300 replaced after years of reliable use

Before receiving IRIS-T, the brigade relied primarily on the Soviet-era S-300 complex. The commander emphasized that their previous maximum had been five targets in a single engagement when using the S-300.

“We worked well with the three-hundred. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we destroyed 55 enemy cruise missiles and drones,” said Vitaliy. Still, the new system brought an instant improvement, with the seven-missile battle setting a fresh benchmark.

IRIS-T earns confidence of Ukrainian defenders

Vitalii noted that the IRIS-T system had already earned trust within the brigade after its first successful engagement.

“This is a modern and precise system that has already won authority among our anti-aircraft forces,” he stated. “We are confident that with it we’ll surpass our previous result of 55 downed targets.”

The brigade regards this first success not as a peak, but as the start of a new chapter. According to Militarnyi, the air defense personnel are determined to keep building on the new tally.

IRIS-T designed for short-range precision defense

IRIS-T is a modern German short-range surface-to-air missile system built to protect ground forces near the front line. It is engineered to intercept enemy aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. At its core is the IRIS-T missile, which uses an infrared homing head and has been adapted for ground launch. Target locking occurs during the final flight phase via the infrared seeker.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding with IRIS missile manufacturer Diehl Defence in March. 

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 49 explosive Shahed drones, decoy drones, a cruise missile, and two guided missiles overnight on 8 June, with Ukrainian defenses neutralizing 40 of the drones.

According to the Air Force, the attack was countered by air defense missile units, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare teams from both the Air Force and broader Defense Forces.

As of 09:00, 40 Shahed drones and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles were neutralized over the east, south, north, and center of Ukraine. Among these, 22 were destroyed by direct fire, while another 18 were either jammed or lost on radars with no further consequences.

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The Air Force’s data suggest that all three missiles and at least nine drones may have reached their intended targets. 

Key targets: Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts

The Air Force identified Kharkiv Oblast and Donetsk Oblast as the main directions of the overnight Russian assault. Strikes were recorded at five locations.

While no direct damage or casualties from the latest attack were cited, regional reports provided updates on the previous day’s strikes. In Kharkiv Oblast, Head of the Oblast Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov stated that the city of Kharkiv and nine other settlements came under heavy Russian fire during 7 June.

Previous day’s toll: Civilians killed and injured

According to Syniehubov, the earlier attack left three civilians dead and 23 injured. Two of the fatalities occurred in Kharkiv, where 18 people were wounded. In the village of Staryi Saltiv, two women aged 46 and 53 and a 30-year-old man were injured. In Kupiansk, a 44-year-old man sustained injuries. In Kozacha Lopan, a 60-year-old man was killed, and another man aged 47 was injured.

Kharkiv endures most extensive attack since full-scale invasion began. Three civilians killed, dozens injured

Syniehubov detailed that Russian forces had used a wide variety of weapons in Kharkiv Oblast during the day, including one Kh-59 missile, nine guided aerial bombs (KABs), 64 Shahed drones, three “Geran-2” drones (the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 that Syniehubov, for some reason, refers to by its Russian designation), one Lancet drone, and two Molniya drones. In the city of Kharkiv itself, four KABs struck the Shevchenkivskyi and Kyivskyi districts.

Donetsk civilians also suffer casualties

Donetsk Oblast Head Vadym Filashkin reported that Russian attacks on 7 June killed four civilians: two in Yablunivka, one in Kostiantynivka, and one in Siversk. Another nine people in the oblast were injured.

FPV drone strike in Zaporizhzhia sets home ablaze

Separately, in the frontline town of Prymorske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a Russian FPV drone targeted a detached house, as reported by Oblast Head Ivan Fedorov on 8 June. The attack resulted in a fire that completely destroyed the building and left a 63-year-old man with shrapnel wounds. He was hospitalized and is receiving medical care.

In the early hours of 6 June, Russia conducted one of the largest air attacks since the start of its full-scale invasion, targeting Kyiv, Ternopil, Lutsk, Lviv, and several other cities using a combination of missiles and drones. The Russian assault resulted in civilian casualties — with four people known to have been killed and 25 injured — along with widespread damage to infrastructure and multiple fires.

At the time of reporting, the attack was still ongoing, with several Russian drones remaining airborne over multiple regions.

Here’s what we know so far.

Known details and air defense response

So far, there is no official count of the missiles and drones used in the attack, but live reporting from Ukrainian monitoring channels indicated that Russia launched over 100 missiles, along with a significantly higher number of drones.

The Ukrainian air monitoring channel Monitor summarized that the Russian assault involved Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95MS bombers from Volgograd Oblast, Kalibr missiles fired by the Black Sea fleet, and Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Kursk and Voronezh Oblasts. The attack also included Shahed drones and other types of UAVs.

The assault affected Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Lviv Oblast, Lutsk, Ternopil and Ternopil Oblast, Rivne Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava Oblast, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district of Odesa Oblast. Energy infrastructure, residential areas, and civilian sites were hit, as confirmed by local authorities and military administrations.

Monitor stated the missile phase of the assault lasted from 03:10 to 04:40, while drone waves began at 20:10 and continued for over 10 hours.

Kyiv: Fires and casualties

Ukrainian airspace monitoring channels reported that Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with cruise and ballistic missiles, and Shahed explosive drones. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, confirmed that as of 6:00, one person was killed and 20 others were injured, 16 of whom were hospitalized. Strikes hit multiple districts, including Solomianskyi, where a school and residential buildings were damaged.

Drone debris caused fires in Darnytskyi, where vehicles were destroyed, and in Holosiivskyi, where building structures were reportedly damaged. Fires also broke out in Shevchenkivskyi and Sviatoshynskyi. Debris fell in Desnianskyi and other parts of the city. Metro lines between “Darnytsia” and “Livoberezhna” were damaged. Some areas on the city’s left bank experienced temporary power outages.

“They were working under fire to help people. Another nine emergency workers were wounded. Some are in serious condition — doctors are fighting for their lives,” Klymenko wrote on Telegram.

Ternopil and oblast: Infrastructure and industrial sites hit

Ternopil mayor Serhii Nadal reported that industrial and infrastructure targets in the city were struck. Part of the city was left without electricity and water pressure dropped. Emergency services were working at the scene.

Head of the Oblast Military Administration, Viacheslav Nehoda, described it as “the most massive air attack on our oblast,” noting multiple strikes and ongoing firefighting efforts. Explosions were first reported during an air raid starting at 03:16.

Lutsk: Injuries and extensive property damage

In Lutsk, mayor Ihor Polishchuk confirmed five people were injured in the strikes. According to him, the Russians targeted the city with 15 drones and five missiles. It is the largest attack on the city since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

A residential building suffered partial destruction and windows were shattered in multiple buildings. Commercial facilities and private vehicles were also damaged. The Oblast Military Administration added that people were evacuated and received medical help, noting that air defenses “destroyed a lot of [aerial] targets.”

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Lviv Oblast: Air defense in action

Lviv mayor Andrii Sadovyi and regional head Maksym Kozytskyi confirmed that air defenses operated successfully and no Russian strikes reached Lviv community infrastructure. Loud explosions were heard during the air raid, which started at 00:53 and ended at 05:01.

Chernihiv: Shahed struck near apartment block

Chernihiv City Military Administration head Dmytro Bryzhynskyi reported that a Shahed drone exploded near a high-rise building on the city’s outskirts. No casualties or damage were mentioned.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Explosions heard during air raid

Explosions were reported by Suspilne correspondents in Khmelnytskyi during an air raid early in the morning. The Ukrainian Air Force noted that cruise missiles entered the oblast around 04:05.

Read the followup:

Russia launches 407 drones and 44 missiles against Ukraine in overnight assault, Air Force says

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kupiansk direction. Here, along the Oskil River near Kupiansk, Ukrainian special forces just carried out one of the boldest operations of the war.

In a surprise helicopter raid deep behind Russian lines, they landed undetected and tore through dugouts, safe houses, and staging zones, shattering Russian preparations before their offensive could even begin.

Hidden danger of Kharkiv Oblast town

The Russian forces in this area maintain a very thin bridgehead on the west bank of the Oskil River, where the control of the town of Dvorichna allows them to accumulate and deploy forces across the river.

Russians plan to use this bridgehead to tactically outflank Ukrainian forces in Kupiansk from the north, as well as to use it as a launching pad to link up with their other offensive in Kharkiv.

The Ukrainians understand that the Dvorichna bridgehead will be a key staging ground for the Russian summer offensive in Kharkiv, and know that they must act quickly to undermine any future Russian effort here.

The flaw in the river

The primary Russian weakness here is that their forces must cross the Oskil River by boat to reach their bridgehead on the western bank, which significantly complicates their logistics. This prevents them from deploying large numbers of heavy weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles or MANPADS.

The lack of man-portable air defenses makes the Russian bridgehead highly vulnerable to any aerial operations that the Ukrainians could conduct.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian special operations forces command devised a daring and unconventional plan, to conduct the first air assault operation in the war in over three years.

They planned to fly over Russian lines and deploy several teams of special forces in the rear of the enemy, where they would conduct raids, gather intelligence, and direct fire onto concealed Russian deployment points.

Ghosts in the trees

The Ukrainian Special Forces involved in this operation were deployed using American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, flying low to avoid being detected by the Russians.

Penetrating deep behind Russian lines, the helicopters were able to land and dismount several dozen Ukrainian operators before returning safely to friendly territory.

Once on the ground, the Ukrainian troops moved quickly and with purpose. After reaching their targets, they launched a series of highly effective and deadly raids against Russian forces. They cleared forest belts and residential areas of enemy soldiers who had been preparing to cross the river.

Russian troops were caught completely off guard, never expecting an attack from their rear. Several dugouts were quickly encircled, and numerous Russian soldiers were captured in the confusion.

Taking full advantage of surprise and terrain, Ukrainian operators concealed themselves in forested areas, waiting for small Russian infantry groups that were either sent to find them, or were moving to new positions completely unaware.

These ambushes were swift and lethal, as the Ukrainians eliminated enemy soldiers at point-blank range using small arms, all while remaining undetected in the dense cover of the forest.

The escape corridor

The high level of coordination and preparation of the Ukrainian forces included several armored vehicles, meant to arrive near a designated exfil point to quickly evacuate the operators. This point was chosen carefully, as it had the least amount of frontline activity, and no Russian bridgehead, making it the safest route for the job.

The Ukrainians moved through the dense forests behind the Dvorichna bridgehead and avoided areas with larger concentrations of Russian soldiers.

The Ukrainian special operators, with intelligence gained from captured Russians, enabled the Ukrainian drone operators to identify large Russian strongholds standing in the way of the Ukrainian exfiltration.

Artillery crews and heavy drone bombers were deployed, leading to the decimation of these Russian troops.

This focused fire established a corridor for the Ukrainian special forces to safely traverse the forests and reach the western bank of the river, where MaxPro armored vehicles awaited to exfiltrate them back to safety.

Operators left behind: the shadow war begins

Overall, the Ukrainians achieved the impossible, carrying out the war’s first air assault operation in over three years, allowing them to strike deep into Russian-held territory, inflict serious losses, and gather critical intelligence.

Notably, it is highly likely that not all Ukrainian operators exfiltrated from behind Russian lines.

According to special forces doctrine, these operators will be able to gather intelligence, set up and train further resistance networks, and conduct a deadly guerrilla warfare with sabotage and liquidations of top Russian commanders.

Russia is going to go all-in this summer, and the Ukrainians are positioning themselves to take every advantage they can to repulse it.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Moscow strikes cities while pretending to pursue “peace initiatives.” In response, Ukraine is accelerating the production of ultra-fast missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered separate funding to be allocated to Ukraine’s ballistic missile program.

President Zelenskyy addressed the situation in his evening speech, following the record-breaking Russian strike. Russian ruler Vladimir Putin and his circle have no intention of ending the war, according to intelligence, he said.

“On the contrary, there’s plenty of evidence that they are preparing new offensive operations. Russia is counting on a long war,” the Ukrainian president claimed.

During the meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff, Zelenskyy ordered Ukraine’s leadership to thoroughly analyze the consequences of the Russian strikes, their drone tactics, and responses.

“I also ordered separate funding to be allocated for our Ukrainian ballistic missile program — to speed up missile production,” Zelenskyy said.

Earlier, Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that Russia has upgraded its Iskander-M ballistic missiles to make them harder to intercept.

Each upgraded missile can now deploy radar-decoying countermeasures during its final approach to the target. According to Ihnat, this modernization has reduced the effectiveness of the Patriot air defense systems against Russian ballistic missiles.

“I believe our partners are working on this — to improve the system in response,” Ihnat stated.

Earlier, Umerov met with representatives of Raytheon, one of the key producers of Patriot systems, the only weapons in Ukraine that are capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

The top agenda issue was Kyiv’s urgent need for additional air defense systems and missiles.