Russia claims destroying Ukraine's space intelligence complex, S-300 air defense system

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Saturday that it destroyed a Ukrainian space intelligence complex and S-300 air defense system.

"On the night of March 8, the Ovidiopol-2 space and radio intelligence complex was destroyed near (the city of) Odesa, in 2020, NATO specialists got access to the facility," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the S-300 air defense system was struck in the Donetsk region with the use of multiple military means, the ministry noted.

"Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile and artillery units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation destroyed the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the area of the settlement of Pokrovsk," it said.

The ministry also said Cesar Aujard, "a French neo-Nazi," was killed in fighting near the city of Avdiivka.

Russia started its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022.