Russia employs Kalibr missiles to “overload” Ukraine’s air defenses - Navy spox

The Russians currently use Kalibr missiles not so much to hit targets as to overload Ukrainian air defense capabilities amid combined missile and drone attacks.

That’s according to Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, Ukrinform reports.

"In principle, the Russians use them for the purpose of overloading our air defense during combined missile and drone attacks. Actually hitting targets is now a priority for other types of missiles," he explained.

He noted that Kalibr cruise missiles with a 450kg warhead remain a dangerous weapon, although their interception rate remains high. The official assumes the Russians have taken this fact into account and are manufacturing tubes compatible with both Kalibr and Onyx missiles.

"But there are no ships of such types in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea," Pletenchuk noted.

He added that no cruise missile carriers have been observed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov for several days already.

As reported earlier, during Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine on July 8, the enemy launched 14 Kalibr cruise missiles, 12 of which were shot down.