The Russian Aerospace Forces performed a deceptive manoeuvre during most recent strikes on targets in Kyiv.
According to WarGonzo, four Russian bombers were scrambled on July 8 in the morning, but they did not launch missiles. The Ukrainian side later said that the Russian forces launched as many as 40 missiles throughout the country on the morning of July 8.
Military correspondents reported that four bombers took off on July 8, but no missiles were launched deliberately. The Russian Aerospace Forces changed their attack tactics and attacked the Ukrainian capital not at night, as in previous times, but during the daytime.
"Three Tu-22M3 bombers launched missiles from the Millerovo area as close to the area of the special military operation as possible), so that Ukrainian air defenses would have less time to respond," the report says.
The Russian forces targeted objects in Kyiv. Explosions also occurred in the cities of Krivoy Rog and Dnepropetrovsk. One of the missiles struck a warehouse at Artem plant in Kyiv.
The Russian Defence Ministry released an official statement in connection with the attacks on Ukraine on July 8:
"This morning <…> the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a group strike with the use of long-range precision weapons targeting defence industry facilities of Ukraine and aviation bases of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The goal of the strike has been achieved, the designated targets have been hit.
Statements from representatives of the Kyiv regime about Russia's allegedly intentional missile strike on civilian targets are absolutely untrue.
Numerous photos and video footage from Kyiv clearly confirm the fact of destruction due to the fall of a Ukrainian air defense missile launched from an anti-aircraft missile system within the city.”
On the morning of July 8, an air raid alert was declared on the territory of Ukraine. According to local media reports, a strong explosion occurred in the area of the Lukyanovskaya metro station in the Shevchenkovsky district of Kyiv. An aviation equipment plant is located not far from the station.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed reports about the explosion in the Shevchenko district of the city.
"The capital of Ukraine is expecting three waves of cruise/hypersonic missiles in the near future,” the Military Chronicle Telegram channel said.