Photo: A Ukrainian soldier shot down a Russian X-101 missile with a single shot
Soldier Oles, a member of the Ivan Vyhovsky Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in Lviv, destroyed an X-101 cruise missile with a single launch from a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS), destroyed an X-101 cruise missile. The target’s destruction was later officially confirmed through photographic evidence.
Oles was mobilized on February 25, 2026. He decided on his unit right away, since his father had previously served in that very same brigade.
After completing basic military training, he chose to specialize as a MANPADS gunner. According to him, he wanted to work with a system capable of intercepting missiles and jet-powered drones while they were still approaching.
During one of the massive Russian strikes, the mobile fire teams received an order to strengthen air defense and moved to their positions on “Readiness Level 1.”
About five minutes later, Oles spotted a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile moving on a lateral course. The soldier described how he prepared the system for firing and tracked the target.
“I lock onto the target immediately. I wait exactly five seconds for the system’s ground power source to fully activate. I aim at the target. I switch the weapon to ‘pursuit’ mode. The whole time, I kept the missile in my sights.”
After launch, the MANPADS missile began pursuing the Kh-101. A moment later, an explosion rang out in the sky.
Oles admitted that after the Russian missile was destroyed, he experienced extremely intense emotions.
“The adrenaline hit me so hard that I completely lost touch with reality. I turned to my partner and shouted at the top of my lungs: ‘Did you get it?! Did you take it out?!’”
According to the soldier, because of what he’d just experienced, he kept gripping the launch tube tightly and didn’t immediately realize that it was already empty.
“I thought the missile was still there.”
Once the initial emotions subsided, the soldiers began searching for debris. Later, they received official confirmation, backed by photographic evidence: a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile had been destroyed.
The Lviv Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade noted that the cost of a single such missile is estimated at approximately $10–13 million.
Thus, a well-aimed shot by a Ukrainian defender made it possible to destroy an expensive Russian missile during a massive attack.
The Lviv Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade provided details on the defender’s combat operations.
Over the past year, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces have destroyed more than 15,500 Russian drones of the “Shahed,” “Geran,” and “Gerbera” types using Sting interceptors from the Ukrainian miltech company “Dyki Shershni.” Among them were more than 10,000 attack UAVs.
