"On the night of January 7th to 8th, Russian occupiers carried out a raid using kamikaze drones Shahed-131/136 (8/8) and a combined missile strike employing a variety of missile types: Kh-101/555/55 (24/18), Kh-47M2 'Kinzhal' (4 missiles), 9M723 Iskander OTRK (6 missiles), and Kh-22/32 (8 missiles). It is possible that North Korean KN-23 missiles were also used in this strike." wrote Alexander Kovalenko, a military and political analyst of the 'Information Resistance' group in his blog in Telegram.
"Additionally, anti-radiation missiles Kh-31P (2 missiles) and 7 missiles from the S-300/400 complexes were employed.
I must emphasize that this strike once again confirms that Russia carries them out not only for the purpose of hitting certain targets but primarily as an element of terror. Holiday terror.
In essence, the Russians cynically and maniacally amassed ammunition with meticulous planning for highly synchronized strikes before New Year's, on New Year's, and after the New Year. Today, they struck on Christmas, which is currently being celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church.
'Christmas' terror. Another proof of the despicable nature of our adversaries in this war.
This strike occurred 5 days after the massive strike on January 2nd. This aligns perfectly with the preparation timeline of carriers for a new wave of attacks, given the sufficient stockpile of ammunition, which is beyond doubt. Currently, the Russians have not depleted the stockpile of missiles accumulated during the second half of 2023, except for the increasingly acute shortage of 9M723, forcing Russia to seek a replacement from North Korea.
The main impact was on Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro. In Kryvyi Rih, a Russian missile hit a shopping center.
Almost all hits were a result of breakthroughs in air defense systems, the interception of which was technically impossible in these areas due to the absence of corresponding anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs). This refers to the breakthroughs of missiles such as Kh-47M2 'Kinzhal,' 9M723, and Kh-22/32, which are intercepted by Patriot and SAMP/T SAM systems.
Also notable is the limited stockpile of Kh-101/555/55 missiles, which reached 52 units through the use of other types of missile armaments. In other words, as predicted earlier, the Russians have chosen a scenario of limited strikes, similar to those in May-June 2023.
This time, launches of Kh-101/555/55 were carried out from 11 Tu-95MS aircraft, with 2-3 missiles per aircraft, although only 3 aircraft would have sufficed, given their payload capacity according to technical specifications – 8 missiles.
The New Year's terror in Ukrainian cities continues. Despite the predictability of Russian occupiers, the question of defending the rear of Ukraine from attacks requiring modern interception systems with corresponding functionality remains relevant. Meanwhile, Russian occupiers exploit the vulnerability of certain regions and employ specific types of missile armaments for maximum breakthrough effectiveness."
