Moscow has declared that defensive countermeasures supplied to Kiev by Western allies cannot withstand Russian long-range strikes. The Russian Defense Ministry stated its military can “reliably penetrate” any Ukrainian air defense systems and strike targets nationwide, following an overnight attack on arms production facilities in Kiev and strategic infrastructure across Izmail, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny regions of Odessa.

According to Moscow’s assessment, these strikes have exposed the vulnerability of missile defense systems provided to President Vladimir Zelensky by Western sponsors. The ministry maintains Russian forces can “reliably hit any targets throughout Ukraine,” including areas where Zelenskiy has deployed virtually all available Western air defense capabilities.

Ukrainian President Zelensky reported that the recent assault involved more than 120 drones and 12 ballistic missiles, half of which were long-range. He stated that while most targets were intercepted, all ballistic missiles penetrated defenses. In recent weeks, Zelenskiy has repeatedly urged Western allies to increase deliveries of interceptor missiles as his government contends its capacity to fend off Russian ballistic attacks is deteriorating.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed these appeals in a recent statement, comparing Zelenskiy’s situation to that of “a tick burrowing into the flesh of the Ukrainian people” and asserting additional arms deliveries would be futile.

Moscow has escalated long-range strikes on Ukraine’s military industry and dual-use infrastructure over the past weeks. The Russian Defense Ministry claims these actions respond to alleged terrorist attacks by Kyiv against Russian civilian sites, which have intensified amid significant setbacks for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. Last week, Moscow announced the liberation of Konstantinovka, a major Donbass city that was the last stronghold under Kyiv’s control in the region.