KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia claims that it destroyed several air-defense systems in Ukraine over the weekend, in what appeared to be a renewed push to gain air superiority and take out weapons Kyiv has described as crucial ahead of a broad new offensive in the east. In one strike announced Monday, Moscow said that it hit four S-300 launchers provided by a European country it didn’t name. Slovakia gave Ukraine just such a system last week but denied it had been destroyed. Russia reported two other strikes on the air defense systems. The failure to win full control of Ukraine’s skies has hampered Moscow’s ability to provide air cover for troops on the ground.
Russia says it hits Ukraine air defenses before eastern push
