Ukrainian defenders spent a week waiting for the Russian Tu-22M3 bomber to reach the necessary threshold to destroy it.

As reported by BBC-Ukraine, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, commented on this in a statement to the Ukrainian Air Force.

"It was, let's say, a week-long 'stakeout.' We were waiting for it to reach the necessary threshold," Budanov said, commenting on the destruction of the Tu-22M3.

According to him, the plane was shot down at a distance of 308 kilometers. Our defenders used the same techniques and means as they did when destroying the Russian long-range radar detection aircraft A-50.

Budanov reminded that the Russians still have such aircraft, but the successful actions of the Odessa Defense Forces will make it a bit easier. It was the Kh-22 missiles launched by the Tu-22M3 that caused the most damage to the city.

As Budanov noted, previously, the air defense forces could not intercept the powerful and fast Kh-22 Soviet missile. Its accuracy was "not that great" because it's an old design.

"Most of the civilian buildings were destroyed by these missiles," clarified the Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate.

He also mentioned that now the Russians will have to find new launch thresholds for the Kh-22, and for launching missiles at Odessa, they will only be able to use ground complexes, as well as missiles from long-range aviation and the sea.