This was the first time in nearly two weeks that Ukraine reported shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, which are harder to stop than drones or cruise missiles and have been devastating the country during the fifth year of Moscow’s large-scale invasion.
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Ukraine’s air defense most likely used the US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system, which is the most effective way to repel ballistic missiles, but this system is short of missiles due to the war in Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Paris this week to change the situation. He announced that his country is joining nine other states to form a coalition aimed at creating a joint ballistic missile shield for Europe. On Monday, he said that Ukraine and its partners could jointly develop a mass-produced, inexpensive system within the next year.
Zelensky participated on Tuesday in France’s annual Bastille Day celebrations, where he received ovations from European leaders. His country’s soldiers received the loudest greetings of the day from the crowd watching the military parade on the Champs-Élysées.
About 500 soldiers from the “willing coalition” countries group, committed to helping ensure Ukraine’s post-war security, took part in the parade. French President Emmanuel Macron called it a “great honor” to have the opportunity to greet them at the parade.
Tuesday’s attack in Kyiv caused fires in two warehouses and also damaged a school, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it targeted military production facilities producing long-range missiles and drones.
Moscow aims to prevent Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities deep within Russian territory. These strikes have caused a critical fuel shortage, angering the public and, according to Western analysts, hindering the Russian military’s advance on the front line.
Ukraine’s air forces reported that one ballistic missile and 25 drones struck 17 locations, and falling debris was reported from 10 locations.
Ukraine seeks to strengthen air defense
Ukraine urgently needs to improve its air defense shield before the coming winter. Most of the country suffers from Russian missiles that have been devastating its power grid since 2022, making winters almost unbearable.
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US President Donald Trump said last week at the NATO summit that the US would license Ukraine to produce Patriot systems itself. However, they are expensive, in high demand, and take a long time to produce, so it will likely be years before any systems made in Ukraine are ready to deploy.
Ukraine attacks more Russian oil facilities
Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its long-range attacks on Russian targets, especially oil facilities.
A fire broke out at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region due to the attack, local authorities reported. The fire was later extinguished.
Zelensky said Ukraine also struck an oil refinery in the city of Salavat in the Bashkortostan region, about 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov confirmed the attack on the industrial zone in Salavat but did not specify what was hit.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Navy struck four Russian tankers belonging to Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet and a patrol ship, Zelensky said.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Navy announced on the Telegram platform that it struck and sank the Russian border patrol ship Izumrud near Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region.
On Monday, Ukraine stated that it struck 105 Russian ships in the Sea of Azov near the Crimean Peninsula between July 6 and 13.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defense intercepted 288 Ukrainian drones last night.
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejects Zelensky’s proposed ceasefires.
“This war must end, and all sensible diplomatic proposals are on the table,” Zelensky said on social media.
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