Ukrainian Air Defense Depleted

Another day was marked by devastating Russian strikes in Ukrainian rear areas. On the night of April 19, numerous explosions thundered in the southern, central and eastern regions of the war-torn country. The massive attack involved Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers armed with Kh-22 and Kh-32 missiles as well as MiG-31K fighters armed with Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles and waves of Geran drones.

The targets of the night attack included the railways of Ukraine. Several missiles struck Ukrainian infrastructure, which was serving military traffic. In the early hours, large explosions thundered at the railway station in the city of Dnipro, which is one of the largest logistic hubs of the Ukrainian military in the eastern and southern areas of the front. The Ukrainian Railways company officially confirmed the damage which was not possible to hide, but blamed the Russian military for attacks on the allegedly civilian infrastructure. In fact, various independent sources confirmed that the target was a military echelon with equipment and military personnel, which was successfully destroyed.

The day before, the same city of Dnipro suffered heavy losses as a result of the precision Russian strikes at the local military airfield. At least two Russian missiles with cluster munitions struck the parking area for military aircraft. Three MiG-29s of the Ukrainian Air Force were heavily damaged.

One more missile destroyed a local depot housing military equipment. Another Russian strike destroyed the launcher of a Ukrainian S-300 air defense system and damaged its radar in the city. Footage of the attack was quickly shared online confirming the damage. The strikes at a distance of about 90 kilometers from the frontlines were coordinated by Russian reconnaissance UAVs, which passed unnoticed by Ukrainian air defense forces. This is yet more evidence of the growth of the fire and reconnaissance capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The Russian side also suffered losses during the night attack on April 19. One of the Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombers crashed in the Stavropol region. According to the Ministry of Defense, the aircraft was returning from a combat mission, explaining why there was no ammunition on board. The preliminary cause of the crash is a technical malfunction. According to unofficial reports, two crew members died as a result of the accident. The commander of the crew forcibly ejected three of his subordinates, but sacrificed his own life. He remained in the plane to the last minute in order to guide it away from residential buildings. Thanks to his deed, there was no collateral damage on the ground. Another crew member was reportedly found dead on the ground after ejecting.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to declare another fake victory, claiming that the aircraft was allegedly shot down by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile; but even the Ukrainians no longer believe their lies.