The head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that before the downing of the Russian Tu-22M3 bomber, the Ukrainian military had been in an "ambush" for a week.
Kyrylo Budanov spoke about this in a commentary to BBC Ukraine.
"For a week we were, let’s say, ambushed. We were waiting for him to reach the right point."
Budanov specified that the aircraft was hit at a distance of 308 kilometres.
According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Russians still have aircraft of this type. But the DIU chief says that "this is the first downing of a long-range aircraft in this war", which "will make it a little easier for Odesa now".
Budanov explained that the Tu-22M3 aircraft used X-22 missiles, "which, perhaps, caused the most destruction in the city."
Now, the Russians will have to find new launch sites to launch missiles, and they will be forced to use "only ground-based systems to strike Odesa and missiles from long-range aircraft and from the sea," Budanov said.