Russian bombers have likely been launchinᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚg 1960s-era heavy, anti-ship missiles meant to destroy aircraft carriers with nuclear warheads against land targets in Ukraine, a British military intelligence report said Saturday.
It said the 5.5-ton Kh-22 missiles, when used in ground attaಞcks with conventional warheads, are highly inaccurate and can cause severe collateral damage and casuaꦜlties.
Russia is likely using such weapons because it is running short of more precise modern missi🔴les, Britain's Defence Ministry said in a daily update.
Russian forces have been concentrating their efforts on capturing all of Ukraine's eastern region of coal mines an🗹d factories known as the Donbas. The area borders Russia and has been p🧜artly controlled by Moscow-backed separatists since 2014.
Civilians have been fleeing intense fighting in eastern Ukraine as Russian and Ukrainian forces engage in a grinding battle of attritio🦋n for key cities in the country's industrial 🌊heartland.
The report said Ukrainian air 💖defences were still deterring Russian tactical aircraft from carrying out strikes across much of the country.