Air defense systems shoot down an «Iskander» ballistic missile in Odesa. About reported Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk on Facebook.
Iskander «missiles are extremely difficult to shoot down due to their high speed and ballistic trajectory. In recent months, Russian aggressors have been terrorizing Odesa and the region with these missiles from the occupied Crimea. Unfortunately, in 2024, these missiles very often hit their targets, causing damage to the region’s port infrastructure and other facilities.
Recently, the Russians have been using these missiles with a cluster warhead, which consists of 54 separate charges. The missiles explode over the target and cause damage over a large radius. In particular, such missiles at the end of April were attacked the palace of students of the Odesa Law Academy, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of the academy’s rector, Serhiy Kivalov.
Iskander missiles weigh 3,800 kilograms and have a warhead of up to 480 kilograms, the weight can vary depending on the warhead. The Navy did not say what type of missile the Russians used. The destruction of an «Iskander» ballistic missile over Odesa for the first time in a long time may indicate an increase in air defense capabilities.