Ukrainian Defense Minister Confident of "Intercepting All Russian Missiles"

The Ukrainian army announced that it had intercepted all 16 missiles intensively launched by Russian troops on the 18th, targeting the capital Kyiv and other targets. Noting that it included six missiles that Russia claims to be hypersonic missiles, Defense Minister Reznikov expressed confidence that weapons provided by the West could counter them.

In Ukraine, on the 16th, the Russian military intensively carried out missile attacks in various places, including the capital Kyiv.

In response, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that all 18 missiles fired were intercepted, including six "Kinzhal" missiles that the Russian side considers to be hypersonic missiles.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Reznikov posted on social media that "we have achieved incredible success again" and expressed confidence that we can counter with weapons provided by the West.

The Ukrainian Air Force initially said that it would be extremely difficult to intercept the "Kinzhal", but then announced on the 6th of this month that it shot down for the first time, and Defense Minister Reznikov also appealed for the improvement of the Ukrainian air defense capability.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 6th that the "Kinzhal" hit the surface-to-air missile system "Patriot" deployed in Kyiv, but a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force told local media that "we will not comment, we will leave it alone."

Speaking over the fierce battle ground of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Commander Silsky of the Ukrainian Army described the fighters of the Russian private military company Wagener as "like rats in a trap" and encouraged his troops to continue their defensive operations and turn to counterattacks.

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense Mallar also emphasized on SNS on the 16th that part of the northern and southern suburbs of Bakhmut had been recaptured, but wrote that "at the same time, the enemy is destroying the city with artillery and deploying empty units of the regular army," making it clear that fierce fighting is still continuing.