Ukraine let loose a series of Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles

Ukraine’s Air Force Command said Russia on February 17 attacked the country with 396 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of all types, along with 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 20 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 4 Iskander-K missiles and one Kh-59/69 tactical cruise missile.

“Air defense units downed 367 UAVs with 20 Kh-101 missiles, 4 Iskander-K shells and Kh-59/69 missiles. 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 18 UAVs hit 13 locations, debris fell on 8 locations,” the Ukrainian Air Force Command announced.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not released information related to the raid.

AMK Mappingan account The attack caused a large fire at this facility.

“The last missiles hit the Zakhidnoukrainska 750 kV transformer station in Lviv province,” AMK Mapping said, without specifying the damage involved.

According to AMK Mapping, at least 20 Russian UAVs headed towards the city of Odessa, many aimed at the 110 kV Tairovo transformer station in Odessa. Ukraine’s largest private power company DTEK announced that Russia’s attack “caused extremely serious damage to the power supply infrastructure for the city of Odessa, repairs will take a long time.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense on the same day announced that the country’s air defense downed 151 Ukrainian flat-wing UAVs, including nearly 80 over the Black Sea and Sea of ​​Azov, along with 38 aircraft on the Crimean peninsula and 18 UAVs in the Krasnodar region.

Krasnodar officials said a fire broke out at the Ilsky oil refinery after the raid. A petroleum product storage tank at the facility was also damaged.

The raids took place on the eve of US-brokered negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on February 17-18 in Geneva, Switzerland. Two previous rounds of discussions in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) did not yield results.

Both sides claim fruitful negotiations, but remain far apart on the key issue of territory. Russia maintains its demand that Ukraine make major concessions on territorial and political issues, which Kiev has repeatedly rejected.

In addition to territorial issues, Russia and Ukraine still have deep disagreements over which side will control the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as well as the possibility of Western troops being present in Ukraine after the end of the conflict.