Russia has launched 2,437 cruise missiles since February 2022 – Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson

Ukrainska Pravda, VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - 3 June, 13:31

A Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber. Stock photo

Russian strategic aviation aircraft have fired 2,437 cruise missiles against Ukraine since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Ukrainian air defence forces have managed to shoot down 1,916 of them.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote from Yurii Ihnat: "The enemy has been using strategic aircraft carriers (Tu-95 and Tu-160) since the first days of the full-scale invasion...

Based on the data I prepared specifically for Ukrainska Pravda, the enemy has used these carriers to launch 2,437 Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 cruise missiles against Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Of these, 1916 were shot down. This is the result of the truly effective work of air defence, of the entire defence forces, against cruise missiles. However, a significant number, about 500, reached their targets or were not shot down."

Details: Regarding the special operation codenamed Pavutyna (Spider's Web) of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) to destroy Russian strategic aircraft, Ihnat said the following: the SSU reported that more than 40 aircraft were damaged. These are various types of damage: there are completely burnt-out aircraft, some permanently damaged, and some damaged but can be repaired. For a long time, they (the damaged aircraft) will not be able to carry out their missions, namely, terrorist attacks on the territory of Ukraine.

Yurii Ihnat also stressed that Russia still has enough assets to strike and called for caution.

"Not all Russian strategic aviation aircraft were destroyed. That is why the defence forces and Air Force need to be extremely careful. And, of course, so must our citizens," Ihnat added.

Background:

On 1 June 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine carried out a special operation codenamed Pavutyna (Spider’s Web), which targeted strategic aircraft at four Russian airfields.
Vasyl Malik, Head of the SSU, said that in total, "34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at the main Russian airfields were hit".
The SSU officially reports that 41 Russian strategic aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22 M3 and Tu-160, were hit by FPV drones. The estimated cost of the damaged Russian strategic aircraft is over US$7 billion.

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