Russia will continue striking Ukrainian cities if Ukraine is not properly protected from ballistic and other missiles. The large-scale overnight attack became a direct signal of Russia’s intentions and the need to strengthen air defense.
This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the massive Russian attack on June 2.
During the night of June 2, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine using 656 attack drones and 73 missiles of various types, including ballistic, cruise, and anti-ship missiles.
According to the Air Force, ballistic missiles posed the greatest challenge during the attack. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 26 of 27 Kh-101 cruise missiles and three of five Kalibr missiles, but intercepted only 11 of 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles. None of the eight 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles were shot down.
Kyiv was the primary target of the attack, with dozens of residential buildings and other civilian facilities damaged. Four people were killed and another 38 remain hospitalized.
In Dnipro, a search-and-rescue operation is ongoing after a strike hit a four-story residential building. Nine people were killed, including a child, 35 people were injured, and the fate of six others remains unknown.
Energy facilities in Kharkiv region and critical infrastructure in Kharkiv also came under attack. Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskyi regions were also shelled.
Zelenskyy stressed that Russia is effectively demonstrating its readiness to continue missile terror.
“A large-scale attack and an absolutely clear statement from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected from ballistic and other missile strikes, these strikes will continue,” the president said.
The head of state emphasized that Europe needs its own ballistic missile defense system, while Ukraine is counting on U.S. assistance in supplying missiles for Patriot systems and support from international partners in response to another Russian attack.
