Ukraine experienced a new airstrike this Tuesday, January 23, in the early hours of the morning; This time it was mainly the cities of Kharkiv, Kiev and the Dnipro region that were hit by a wave of Russian missiles; The explosions and falling debris caused significant damage in the two cities, but also caused casualties among the civilian population. It is a notorious fact that many missiles were not intercepted by anti-aircraft defenses.
Published on: January 23, 2024 – 1:42 p.m
2 minutes
With our correspondent in Kyiv, Stephane Siohan
Kiev residents were again woken up by gunfire as cruise and ballistic missiles targeted the city between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. (local time). Several serious explosions occurred in the city, including one in the central Pechersk district, not far from places of power in the Ukrainian capital. Authorities are in the process of compiling a damage list, but we already know that the state railway company's sports complex was destroyed and at least one person was killed.
Building destroyed
The damage is even greater in Kharkiv, in the northeast of the country, where an S-300 rocket completely destroyed a building and killed five people. According to a preliminary count, a total of 18 people were injured in Kiev and 42 people in Kharkiv this morning.
The bad news today is that of the 41 missiles Russia fired during the night, only 21 were shot down by anti-aircraft defenses, the lowest interception rate in several months. According to experts, this means two things: either the Russian army shows more ingenuity in the trajectory of its projectiles, or the Ukrainian army begins to seriously lack ammunition for its anti-aircraft systems, in particular the Patriot batteries, while Western military aid is dangerous declined.
Questions about the quality of North Korean arms deliveries to Russia
With our correspondent in Seoul, Nicolas Rocca
As North Korea announces an imminent visit by Vladimir Putin, military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in Seoul and Kiev is a cause for concern. Since this summer, satellite images have documented North Korean arms deliveries. According to the latest South Korean estimates, Pyongyang has sent at least a million artillery shells to Russia. This ammunition from old stocks is said to be of poor quality and partially defective.
Quite the opposite of the ballistic missiles identified by the British organization Conflict Armament Research. Images of the debris from a rocket fired at the city of Kharkiv on January 2 show an inscription in the Korean alphabet and various features that leave little doubt about its North Korean origins. Consistent with other analysis, the photos suggest it would be KN-23 or 24. Solid-propellant tactical ballistic missiles whose first test dates back to 2019 before entering service the following year. These high-quality weapons have never been tested in a real operational area and certainly not against Western missile defense systems. Valuable information for Pyongyang because in the event of a conflict, South Korea and Japan would have similar capabilities.
Also read: Ukraine: Numerous victims in Donetsk after a strike on a market