Ukraine Withstands Russia’s Largest Missile Attack Ever

This marks just the beginning; more is yet to come.

“The screen was practically red — the monitors,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told state media after Russia launched its largest missile attack against Ukraine since the start of the war. On Friday, Russia fired 158 missiles and drones against various locations across Ukraine. Their primary targets were Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lyiv, Dnipro (city) and Odesa.

Thanks to its powerful air defense systems, Ukraine has often been able to shoot down most, if not all, Russian weapons targeting cities in recent months. But the high success rate came down sharply last Friday, as the Ukrainian military shot down only 114 missiles and drones out of a total of 158.

The Russians were back with their missiles again on Sunday, this time targeting Kharkiv city with a mix of cruise missiles and air-defense missiles that killed 26 Ukrainians.

Oleksandr Musiienko, the head of the Kyiv-based Center for Military and Legal Studies, said that Russia’s complex barrage of weapons including hypersonic, cruise and air defense missiles on Friday was intended to overwhelm and confuse Ukrainian air defenses.

“They’re changing the style of their attacks,” he said in…