Russia damaged Patriot air defenses while shelling Kiev

During a missile attack on Kiev, Russia damaged one of the US Patriot air defense systems, CNN reported, citing a US official.

The interlocutor of the publication suggests that the installation was not completely destroyed. According to him, the United States is still assessing the extent of the damage. A decision will be made soon as to whether the system will have to be returned or whether Ukraine can repair it locally.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation previously reported that the American Patriot complex was hit by the hypersonic Dagger complex.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that on the night of May 16, it shot down six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles during a Russian missile attack. In total, according to them, Russia fired 18 missiles across the country. The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, said that Ukraine was attacked with six X-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, nine Kalibr cruise missiles and three S-400 and Iskander-M ballistic missiles. All the targets were destroyed, Załużny stressed.

At the same time, the Ukrainian military declined to comment on the Russian missile hit on the Patriot complex. “We will not comment on Russian sources,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Serhiy Ignat told CNN.

Now there are two Patriot systems in Ukraine: one country was donated by the United States, and the other by Germany and the Netherlands. Which one was damaged is not yet clear.

Russia has already hit Patriot systems with hypersonic missiles, U.S. officials told CNN last week. This attack failed: the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to intercept the missile before it could hit the Patriot.

For the first time, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the interception of the “Dagger” with the help of the American system in early May. Later, this information was officially confirmed by the Pentagon. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not recognize the interception of the missile.

The flight speed of the “Dagger” exceeds the maximum combat modes of the Patriot, a high-ranking source of “Interfax” at the Ministry of Defense explained. According to him, the “anti-missile maneuver and almost vertical approach to the target” preclude the interception of the “Dagger” by any anti-aircraft missile systems.

The Patriot system is equipped with a powerful radar to detect incoming targets at long range, allowing it to intercept ballistic missiles. However, the same radar helps the enemy detect the installation. Unlike other air defense installations, the Patriot is a larger fixed system, making it a tempting target. US officials suggest that the Russian military may have picked up patriotic signals and point Daggers at her, writes CNN.