Were sitting for a week in ambush. Budanov tells how russian Tu-22 was shot down

Ukrainian defenders were waiting for a week to destroy the russian Tu-22M3 bomber.

The head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov has stated this in a comment to BBC Ukraine.

“For a week there had been, let's say, an "ambush" itself. We were waiting for it to reach the desired line," said Budanov.

According to him, the plane was shot down at a distance of 308 kilometers. To destroy it, "the same techniques and the same means that we used when we destroyed an A-50 aircraft in the air" were used.

The head of the Defense Intelligence recalled that the russians still have such aircraft, but from the successful actions of the Odesa Defense Forces it will be a little easier. It was the Kh-22 missiles that the Tu-22M3 launch that caused the city the most destruction.

As Budanov noted, earlier the air defense forces could not intercept the Soviet powerful and high-speed Kh-22 missile. Its accuracy was "not that great," as it is an old development.

"Most of the civilian buildings destroyed these missiles," said the chief of the Defense Intelligence.

He also said that now the russians will have to find new launch lines for Kh-22, and to launch missiles at Odesa, they will be able to use only ground systems, as well as missiles from long-range aviation and the sea.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the night of Friday, April 19, for the first time destroyed the russian Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber - a carrier of Kh-22 cruise missiles.

The Air Force noted that the destruction of the Tu-22M3 was a turning point in russia's war against Ukraine.