At least 25 architectural monuments in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa have been damaged by Russian missiles overnight. The most famous church in Odesa is an Orthodox cathedral known as the Transfiguration or Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral, built in 1809, and it was left severely damaged following the attack.
Kyiv’s Air Force says Russia fired five different types of missiles at the port city overnight, with air defenses taking down all four Kalibr cruise missiles and all five Iskander K cruise missiles. At the same time, Ukraine’s defenses could not intercept any of the five Oniks cruise missiles, the three Kh-22 anti-ship missiles, or the two Iskander-M ballistic missiles that were fired at the city.The latest attack on Odesa demonstrates how certain types of Russian missiles are proving almost impossible for Ukrainian air defenses to shoot down.
According to Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman, electronic warfare tactics can succeed against these missiles, forcing them to change course. Still, Ukraine needs more air defense systems like the US-made Patriot and the European SAMP-T systems.