In brief

• Russia's Defence Ministry says its air defences downed 802 drones and four Rusty Dagger missiles in one day.
• The missile claim was later removed from the ministry's channels, and Russia gave no locations or numbers.
• No independent source has confirmed the interception claims.

Russian air defence claims a large overnight interception

Russia's Defence Ministry reported that its air defence units destroyed 802 drones and four cruise missiles of the Rusty Dagger type over the course of one day, attributing the missiles to Ukraine's armed forces (Российские средства ПВО сбили более 800 беспилотников в зоне СВО – gazeta.press). The ministry said Russian forces also shot down six Ukrainian guided aerial bombs in the same period.

The missile claim and its retraction

The ministry's statement about Rusty Dagger missiles was the first time Moscow said it had intercepted the AGM-188A, also known as ERAM (У РФ заявили про перше збиття ракет AGM-188, але видалили допис: що думають аналітики – UNIAN). The post was later removed from the ministry's official channels without explanation. Russia did not specify where the missiles were allegedly shot down or how many were involved, and Ukraine has not commented.

What the ERAM missile is

The ERAM is a low-cost, air-launched cruise missile. The US Air Force developed it on an accelerated timeline to supply Ukraine with large numbers of inexpensive long-range strike weapons.

Battlefield context

The Defence Ministry tied the interception report to ongoing fighting. Earlier, it said Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from Nikolske in Sumy region, which then passed to Russian control. On November 9, Russian forces said they had taken Vasylkove in Zaporizhzhia region, a move the ministry said cut supply routes and reserve approach paths for Ukrainian units near Barvinkove.

Independent verification

The claims have not been confirmed by any independent source. Defence Blog, which reported on the statement, said Russia gave no locations or numbers for the missile interceptions, and Ukrainian officials have not responded.