A U.S. Department of Defense official on Thursday said that Russian forces have launched more than 480 missiles into Ukraine since the invasion started eight days ago. The majority of the missiles, the official said, are being fired from mobile systems inside Ukraine. About 160 missiles have been fired from the Russian side into Ukraine, while about 70 were fired from Belarus, and around 10 were fired from the Black Sea. But despite this, “airspace over Ukraine remains contested, as [of] yesterday,” said the official, who did not provide details about how the Pentagon obtained such information. “We assess that Ukrainian air and missile defense systems remain intact, and they remain effective. They continue to be able to fly their airplanes and to employ air defense assets.” There have been claims and speculation that Russia’s military may be underperforming, with some pointing to the long column of tanks and armored …