russians shell Donetsk region with Soviet-era supersonic missiles

Over the past day, russian troops have struck residential areas in the Donetsk region with supersonic air-to-ground missiles of the Buria Kh-22 class. Residential houses were destroyed.

The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported this on Telegram.

"During the past 24hrs, the occupiers have attacked 11 settlements. Forty-three civilian objects have been destroyed, most of which are residential buildings. Police have documented russian war crimes," the statement said.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the settlements of Avdiivka, Toretsk, Bakhmut, Soledar, Svitlodarsk, Krasnohorivka, Udachne, Maksymilianivka, Halytsynivka, Mykolaivka, Dolynivka were shelled.

The occupiers struck two air strikes with Buria Kh-22-type supersonic missiles in the village of Mykolaivka, Pokrovsk District.

As a result, 31 residential buildings, the administrative building of the Vuhlehirska power station, the railway line, the ambulance, and the power lines were damaged. Bakhmut and Krasnohorivka were left without electricity.

Earlier, the British Intelligence reported in May that at the onset of its invasion of Ukraine, russia had publicly promoted its ability to conduct surgical strikes and limit collateral damage. It stated that Ukrainian cities would therefore be safe from bombardment. 

However, russia's stockpile of precision-guided munitions has likely been heavily depleted. and it has forced russia to use readily available but aging munitions that are less reliable, less accurate and more easily intercepted.

"russia's invasion of Ukraine has revealed shortcomings in its ability to conduct precision strikes at scale. russia has subjected Ukraine's towns and cities to intense and indiscriminate bombardments with little or no regard for civilian casualties."

On June 10, the report of the British Defense Ministry showed that russian bombers had likely launched dozens of 1960s-era Kh-22 air-launched, heavy anti-ship missiles against land targets. "When employed in a ground attack role with a conventional warhead they are highly inaccurate and can therefore cause significant collateral damage and civilian casualties."