(Reuters) – Ukraine said it had shot down six Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in a single night, thwarting a weapon Moscow has touted as a next-generation hypersonic missile that was all but unstoppable.
FIGHTING
* Ukraine said the missiles shot down included six Kinzhal ballistic missiles fired from aircraft.
* “The work of air defences was extremely successful. Six Kinzhals are an impressive indicator of that,” said air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat.
* The Kinzhal, which means “dagger” in Russian, is one of six “next generation” weapons unveiled by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 when the Russian leader boasted that it could not be shot down by any of the world’s air defence systems.
* “Overnight the air defence units of the Operational command South destroyed four Russian sea-to-shore Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea,” said Vitaly Kim, governor of Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region.
* Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed a U.S.-built Patriot surface-to-air missile defence system with a hypersonic Kinzhal missile in the strike, the Zvezda military news outlet reported.
* But it was not clear which Western weapon Ukraine used to defeat the Kinzhals. The Pentagon had no immediate comment.
* The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in its daily morning update that the Russian forces were concentrating their main efforts in direction of the frontline eastern cities of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.
* Ukrainian troops have made gains around Bakhmut in recent days but Russian forces have advanced slightly in the eastern city itself, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.
* Ukraine’s military on Monday hailed advances around Bakhmut as its first successful counterattack in the battle break the Russian siege of the eastern city.
* Russia launched 80 artillery attacks on Ukraine’s Kherson region, including 14 on the city of Kherson. Six people, including a child were wounded when a residential area was hit, said Oleksandr Prokudin, head of regional administration
* Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.
DIPLOMACY AND ECONOMY
* South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had agreed to receive a mission from African leaders on a potential peace plan for the conflict.
* Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and asked for non-lethal military assistance for her country.
* The Kremlin said questions remained about Russia’s part of the Black Sea grain deal, and that it would have to make a decision about whether to renew it.
* Leaders of the Group of Seven nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, officials with direct knowledge of the discussions said.
* European leaders met in Iceland on Tuesday for a two-day summit meant to show their support for Ukraine.
IN-DEPTH STORIES
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* EXPLAINER-Why the EU is restricting grain imports from Ukraine
(Compiled by Reuters editors)
