Russia destroys IRIS-T; Zakharova to UN: No hiding heads in sand
Ukraine war today: Russia downs 601 drones and announces destruction of HIMARS missiles
The past few days have witnessed successive developments on the Ukrainian front, as Moscow announced the destruction of a German-made air defense system using unmanned systems, while also revealing aerial and naval strikes targeting energy facilities and defense industries.
This coincides with a verbal escalation from the Russian Foreign Ministry on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, as Moscow accused international institutions of remaining silent regarding the situation of journalists, alongside a drone attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Destruction of the German IRIS-T system in Ukraine
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that its forces had destroyed a German-made IRIS-T air defense system that Ukrainian forces were using. The ministry stated in a statement that the separate “Varyag” drone brigade carried out a strike using precision long-range weapons from unmanned systems, noting that objective surveillance footage obtained in real-time showed the target burning intensely after being hit.
The statement added that the German anti-aircraft platform was discovered in the rear areas of Ukrainian forces during reconnaissance operations.
Russian ground and air strikes on energy infrastructure
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced that over the past hours it had carried out a strike with precision long-range weapons, ground and air-based, as well as drones, targeting defense facilities, military industries, and fuel and energy facilities used by Kyiv.
The ministry confirmed that this strike came “in response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets in Russia,” stressing that all designated targets had been hit.
Russian air defense downs 601 drones and announces destruction of HIMARS missiles
Military data issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed that air defense systems managed to shoot down large numbers of drones and missiles over the past day.
According to official figures, 9 guided bombs, 2 US-made HIMARS missiles, 6 long-range Flamingo cruise missiles, in addition to 601 drones were shot down within 24 hours. Reports also indicated the destruction of ammunition depots and temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries in 148 areas.
Drone attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.. IAEA notified
Two days before these developments, specifically on May 3, Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack targeting the external radiation monitoring laboratory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The plant’s press office stated in a statement that the attack poses a threat not only to nuclear safety but also to the radiation situation monitoring system, which could affect the timing of assessment and response.
According to the statement on the outcome of the attack, there were no casualties, no critical damage to equipment was recorded, and the plant and all its systems are operating in normal mode.
The plant’s management also informed IAEA inspectors present at the site of what happened, confirming that the situation is under control.
🎙 Комментарий официального представителя МИД России М.В.Захаровой по случаю Всемирного дня свободы печати (3 мая 2026 года)
💬 3 мая отмечается #ВсемирныйДеньСвободыПечати, провозглашенный резолюцией Генеральной Ассамблеи ООН в 1993 году.
🔗https://t.co/TcpP9yKAz1 pic.twitter.com/rd1WvEHOSs
— 駐日ロシア連邦大使館 (@RusEmbassyJ) May 4, 2026
Zakharova: “We will not allow the UN to bury its head in the sand”
In a parallel context, and coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, accused international institutions of remaining silent regarding crimes committed against journalists.
Zakharova said in her comment: “We will not allow them (international institutions) to hide their heads in the sand in their attempt to exonerate Ukrainians and their Western mentors.”
She criticized the silence of relevant international bodies such as UNESCO, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the OSCE, stating that these institutions “continue to turn a blind eye to the brutal crimes of the Kyiv regime against civilians, including journalists,” according to Zakharova.
Moscow accuses the West of “complete intolerance of other viewpoints” and “pseudo-democracies”
Zakharova indicated that Western countries are purging the information space of any manifestations of intellectual opposition, accusing them of imposing comprehensive censorship and Russophobia.
She said: “Complete intolerance of other points of view, as a product of the entrenched myth there about self-uniqueness, has become the guiding thread of the policy of so-called pseudo-democracies in imposing comprehensive censorship, Russophobia, and propaganda for war and ideas of superiority over the rest of the world.”
She also stated that her country is being subjected to what she described as “continuous and intense hybrid aggression” that includes the media space and its digital dimension.
Criticism of “ceremonial speeches detached from reality” on Press Freedom Day
At the conclusion of her remarks, the Russian spokesperson stressed that the true value of World Press Freedom Day lies not in ceremonial speeches detached from reality and loud statements, but in the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire international system to protect press freedom, without which sustainable development and prosperity cannot be achieved.
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