F-16s intercept 34 out of 35 cruise missiles during massive attack – Air Force spokesman

F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft destroyed 34 out of 35 cruise missiles with which the enemy attacked Ukraine today, said Colonel Yuriy Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of Ukraine.

"The work of the air defense system was extremely effective. Although the Patriot system did not intercept the Kinzhals, the missiles did not reach their targets. Thirty-four out of 35 cruise missiles were shot down, mainly by F-16 aircraft. We thank their pilots for that," he said on the Kyiv24 TV channel.

Ihnat noted that the effectiveness of air defense also depends on the availability of ammunition and made it clear that the Defense Forces are experiencing a shortage of it.

"The President of Ukraine has said this in particular when addressing Western partners: some of our systems — whether aviation or ground-based — are currently empty. Please provide us with what we can use to protect our energy sector and our people," he said.

According to Ihnat, Ukraine's air defense has zonal and object overlap.

"We can cover critical infrastructure facilities, cities, troops on important front lines, but even so there will be 'holes' that the enemy uses," the spokesman noted.

As reported, the Defense Forces of Ukraine neutralized 621 out of 673 enemy air targets on the night of Tuesday, missiles and 39 strike UAVs hit 21 locations, the Air Force Command reported.