MOSCOW. July 10 (Interfax) - Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, commander of the Russian contingent in the special military operation zone in Ukraine Valery Gerasimov has been briefed on the prevention of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' missile strike on targets in Crimea and the Rostov and Kaluga regions.
"Contingent commander Gen. of the Army Valery Gerasimov has listened to a report by Chief of the Aerospace Forces Staff Col. Gen. Viktor Afzalov on the destruction of four Ukrainian ballistic targets," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"According to the report of Col. Gen. Viktor Afzalov, air defense downed two S-200 missiles, while another two missiles of the same type were diverted by ECM systems. There are no casualties or damage," the ministry said.
The ministry reported an unsuccessful attempt of Kiev to hit targets in Crimea and the Rostov and Kaluga region on July 9, using S-200 air defense missiles converted to strike ground targets.
"Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff Gen. of the Army Valery Gerasimov tasked the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate and officers from the contingent's command post with organizing systemic work to detect the places of storage and preparation and launch positions of S-200 missiles and similar weapons of the enemy and planning their preemptive destruction," the ministry said.
Gerasimov also ordered that "additional measures be taken promptly to enhance the security of sites from airstrikes," the ministry said.