Russian missiles damage U.S.-made Patriot system: report.

Russian Missiles Damage U.S.-Made Patriot Air Defense System in Kyiv

A barrage of Russian missiles damaged a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system near Kyiv early Tuesday morning, weeks after the $1 billion system shot a Russian hypersonic missile out of the sky.

Extent of Damage Still Under Assessment

According to U.S. officials, the extent of the damage is still under assessment, and it will determine whether Ukrainians can repair the system on the spot.

Ukraine Successfully Intercepts All Six Hypersonic Missiles

Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday that Ukraine had successfully intercepted all six hypersonic missiles fired by the Russian military. The attack signaled an air alert, which Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense called “one of the most intense attacks on the capital city since the invasion.”

Russia Contradicts Ukrainian Government’s Report

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday in a post on Telegram that a precision strike by a hypersonic Kinzhal missile had destroyed a Patriot air defense system in Kyiv, contradicting the Ukrainian government’s report.

Russian Ministry Officials Confirm Attack

In a daily briefing on Tuesday reported by RT, Russian ministry officials confirmed the attack, stating that Russia had used long-range precision weapons to strike military targets, including “Ukrainian troops positions and places of storage of munitions, weapons and military hardware delivered from Western nations.”

Russian Defense Minister Denies Ukraine’s Claims

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denied Ukraine’s claims to Russian state media, saying, “The Russian Federation has not launched as many ‘Kinzhals’ as they allegedly shoot down every time when making their statements.” He added Ukraine’s number of intercept attempts was “three times more than [the missiles] we are launching.”

Senior Ukrainian Military Source Speaks Out

A senior Ukrainian military source told The Telegraph that officials “were happy to let Russia believe it succeeded in striking the air defense system.”

Patriot Air Defense System: Designed in the 1970s

Ukraine currently has two Patriot air defense systems — one donated by the U.S. and one jointly donated by Germany and the Netherlands. The Patriot, an acronym for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, was designed in the 1970s. The system has been regarded as one of America’s most advanced surface-to-air missile defense systems and costs approximately $1 billion per installation.

Earlier This Month: U.S.-Made Patriot Air Defense System Allegedly Shot Down a Russian Hypersonic Missile

Earlier this month, a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system allegedly shot down a Russian hypersonic missile in Ukraine, marking perhaps the first time a hypersonic missile has been shot down in combat. Ukraine Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk claimed Ukraine used the newly-acquired weapon from the U.S. to shoot down a Russian hypersonic missile called Kinzhal, or “Dagger” in Russian.

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