Ukraine Downs 5 Russian Ballistic Missiles As Kyiv Looks To Harden Its Air Defenses

Kyiv: Ukraine's air force said Tuesday it intercepted five ballistic missiles launched by Russia in a raft of overnight attacks, although other missiles and drones got through and hit warehouses and a school in the capital of Kyiv.It was the first time in almost two weeks that Ukraine said it had downed Russian ballistic missiles, which are harder to stop than drones or cruise missiles and have pummeled the country in Moscow's 4-year-old full-scale invasion.Ukrainian air defenses likely used the U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air guided missile system that is the most effective way of countering ballistic missiles, but ammunition for it has been in short supply amid the Iran war.Read More: Ukraine and nine other countries announce a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missilesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Paris this week to change that, announcing his country is joining with nine other nations to form a coalition that will build a shared ballistic missile shield for Europe. On Monday, he said Ukraine and its partners could jointly develop a mass-produced, low-cost system in the next 12 months.Zelenskyy on Tuesday attended France's annual Bastille Day celebrations, receiving an ovation from European leaders. His country's troops got the loudest cheers of the day from crowds watching along the Champs Elysees.The parade featured about 500 troops from the ″coalition of the willing″ group of countries that have pledged to help with Ukraine's postwar security. French President Emmanuel Macron called it a ″great honor″ to welcome them to the parade.Tuesday's attack in Kyiv caused fires at two warehouses and also damaged a school, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement it targeted military manufacturing facilities that produce long-range missiles and drones.Moscow is seeking to choke off Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities deep inside Russia that have caused critical fuel shortages, frustrating the public and, Western analysts say, are hindering the Russian army's advance on the front line.Read More: Iran's IRGC claims to shoot down US MQ-1 drone over Strait of HormuzUkraine's air force said one ballistic missile and 25 drones struck 17 locations, while falling debris was reported in 10 locations.Ukraine seeks to bolster air defenses ahead of winterUkraine urgently needs to improve its air defense shield before winter. Much of the country is at the mercy of Russian missiles that have hammered its power grid since 2022, making winters almost unbearable.President Donald Trump said at the NATO summit last week that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot systems itself. However, they are expensive, in high demand and take a long time to produce, so it will likely be years before any Ukrainian-made systems are ready to deploy.Ukraine strikes more Russian oil facilitiesUkraine, meanwhile, kept up its long-range onslaught on Russian targets, especially oil facilities.An attack in southern Russia's Krasnodar region caused a fire at the Afipsky Oil Refinery that was later put out, authorities there said.Zelenskyy said Ukraine also hit an oil refinery in the city of Salavat in the Bashkortostan region, some 1,400 kilometers (900 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Bashkortostan Gov. Radiy Khabirov confirmed an attack on an industrial area in Salavat, but didn't say what was hit.In addition, the Ukrainian navy struck four Russian tankers operating as part of Moscow's so-called shadow fleet of aging tankers of uncertain ownership and safety practices that are dodging international oil sanctions and a patrol boat, Zelenskyy said.Ukraine claimed Monday it struck 105 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov next to the Crimean Peninsula between July 6-13.The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted 288 Ukrainian drones.Russian President Vladimir Putin has rebuffed ceasefires offered by Zelenskyy. This war must be brought to an end, and all reasonable diplomatic proposals are on the table, Zelenskyy said on social media.