Ukraine’s air defense system attempted to intercept a Russian Zircon missile, but this led to unexpected consequences, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports.

According to the newspaper, the interceptor missile was launched with a significant lead but failed to hit the target immediately. As a result, it continued following the Zircon and eventually struck a ground facility together with it, increasing the destruction.

The strike on Kiev on the night of June 2 marked the first mass use of Zircon missiles. Eight launches of this type were recorded in the Ukrainian capital, while Ukrainian air defenses failed to shoot down a single one.

That night proved especially unsuccessful for Ukrainian air defense crews. Instead of intercepting aerial targets, Patriot interceptor missiles fell into courtyards in Kiev or exploded at pedestrian crossings, as happened in Dnepropetrovsk.

Russian missiles, meanwhile, hit an Azov* training base in Kiev, an aircraft plant, as well as a number of other defense enterprises and warehouses with military cargo. After the strike, more than half of the city was left without electricity, and large fires broke out.

In addition, missile and drone strikes were carried out on military airfields and defense industry enterprises in Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Poltava, Kharkov, as well as in Poltava and Khmelnitsky regions.

*Azov is recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia.