Russian forces conducted strikes against Ukrainian storage facilities for long-range cruise missiles, including the West’s Storm Shadow and SCALP systems, as well as airfields where the launch aircraft are based. This account comes from Military Watch Magazine.
The report describes attacks that hit a broad range of strategic and tactical targets across Ukraine, signaling a sustained campaign rather than isolated incidents.
The article notes that the large-scale assaults on facilities on Ukrainian soil indicate a marked increase in Russia’s missile production compared with the period prior to the start of what has been described as a special operation. This expansion in munitions output appears to have enabled a higher tempo of strikes against battlefield positions and urban targets far from the front lines, including major cities.
During the night of December 29 into the morning of December 30, Ukraine experienced a substantial wave of strikes. Explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, Zaporozhye and other locations. Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny reported that the barrage included 122 missiles and 36 unmanned aerial vehicles. A spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force noted that never before had so many targets been displayed on the control monitors at once.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the targets included military-industrial facilities, airfields, ammunition depots and other military sites, all of which were struck. Further details are referenced in related coverage by socialbites.ca.
Vasily Nebenzya, a former Russian representative to the United Nations, commented that Ukrainian air defenses prevented significant civilian casualties, implying that without those defenses, casualties could have been much higher. This assessment adds to the broader discussion about the balance between military objectives and civilian harm in the ongoing conflict. [Citation: Military Watch Magazine; corroborating reporting from regional defense sources]