During russian missile attack yesterday, Ukrainian mobile fire group achieved a rare and remarkable success: the interception of the Kalibr cruise missile using a man-portable air defense system. The engagement, carried out with the FN-6 MANPADS, stopped the missile as it flew toward a city in the west of Ukraine.
According to the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the strike was executed by Senior Soldier Dmytro, whose timely reaction determined the outcome.
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Dmytro had only a few seconds to detect, track, and fire on the incoming target. Cruise missiles like the Kalibr fly at low altitude, follow complex trajectories, and are designed to slip past most air defense networks. Intercepting one with a shoulder-launched system is an exceptionally demanding task, highlighting both the skill and composure of the operator and the efficiency of the mobile fire group supporting him.
"Precise launch and the Kalibr missile was destroyed mid-air," the Support Forces Command reported, publishing video footage of the interception and photographs of the missile's debris.
The Command emphasized that such engagements require not only technical expertise but also a high level of discipline and coordination within the team of four soldiers.
Dmytro, who fired the decisive shot, described the experience as one where emotion disappears entirely.
"At the moment of launch, the world narrows to the radar display and a single button. You understand that the price of a mistake is someone's ruined life. There is only calculation, discipline, clarity, and responsibility," he said.
As Defense Express previously reported, russian Kh-101 cruise missile that struck a multistorey residential building in Ternopil was manufactured only months ago, according to an examination carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force. The discovery underscores russia's sustained and uninterrupted production of long-range precision weapons despite extensive Western sanctions meant to limit its access to key components.
Read more: Fresh Kh-101 Missile from 2025 Destroys Homes in Ternopil
