Kiev has made an unsuccessful attempt to hit targets in the Crimea, Rostov and Kaluga regions with S-200 anti-aircraft missiles on July 9, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"On July 9 this year, the Kiev regime made an unsuccessful attempt to strike targets in the Crimea, Rostov and Kaluga regions with S-200 anti-aircraft missiles converted into a strike version in order to destroy ground targets," the ministry said in a statement.
One of the S-200 missiles launched by Kiev on Russian territory was aimed at the Crimean bridge, while the other flew to a military airfield in the Rostov region, the ministry said.
According to the report by the Russian Aerospace Forces to Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, four Ukrainian ballistic targets were destroyed on July 9, the statement said, adding that two S-200 missiles were destroyed by means of air defense, two more similar missiles were suppressed by means of electronic warfare.
"There are no casualties and destruction," the ministry said.
Additionally, Gerasimov instructed the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as officials of the command post of the joint group, to identify storage and training sites, as well as the launch positions of Ukrainian S-200 missiles and similar strike weapons, and plan their preemptive fire damage.
Gerasimov also ordered taking additional measures to improve the protection of facilities from air strikes in the shortest possible time, the statement said.