According to Ukrainian and American officials, Ukraine's air defense shot down six of the most sophisticated conventional weapons in Russia's arsenal, hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, during a bombardment of missiles and drones aimed at Kyiv on Tuesday.
At least one Kinzhal had struck a Patriot system, the most advanced US ground-based air-defense system, which Washington had delivered to Ukraine in response to its urgent requests for assistance in defending against an onslaught of a Russian missile and drone attacks.
Ukraine Reports Shooting Down Russian Hypersonic Missiles
The Ukrainian Air Force did not specify whether the Patriot system was responsible for intercepting Russian missiles during one of the largest aerial assaults by Moscow since early March.
Two US officials verified that a Patriot was disabled, not destroyed, in the attack on Tuesday night. And one of the Americans affirmed that six Kinzhal missiles had been intercepted by Ukraine, according to NY Times.
Officials from the United States stated that the Patriot system, which was stationed on an airfield, was still operational against all threats, including hypersonic missiles, following an evaluation of the system's damage to determine whether parts of the system needed to be replaced or could be repaired.
According to the RIA news agency, when queried about the Ukrainian claim, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed it. Shoigu said a Kinzhal obliterated an American-made Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system.
"A hypersonic Kinzhal missile carried out a high-precision strike on a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system in the Ukrainian capital," the defense ministry said, as per Reuters.
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, stated earlier that his forces had intercepted six Kinzhals launched from aircraft, nine Kalibr cruise missiles launched from ships in the Black Sea, and three Iskanders launched from land.
Russia's Advanced Weapons
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promoted the Kinzhals as a crucial strategic competitive advantage and one of the most advanced weapons in Russia's arsenal. Due to their hypersonic speed and maneuverability, it is difficult to detect and intercept these missiles, ABC News said.
If Ukraine's claim that it shot down six missiles launched on Tuesday is confirmed, it would be another setback to Putin's war efforts and demonstrate the country's increasingly effective air defenses.
According to Ukraine's military, Russia launched a total of 37 sorties and 27 missiles in a single day against Ukraine. Explosions were heard over Kyiv during a significant nighttime attack that was evidently intended to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses. The mayor of Kyiv reported that three persons were injured.
European leaders were seeking new methods to punish Russia for the conflict, and a Chinese envoy was attempting to gain momentum for Beijing's peace proposal, which appeared to have little impact on the warring parties. It also occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned from a whirlwind tour of Europe in search of additional military assistance.
Advanced Western air defense systems, including Patriot missiles, have helped to spare Kyiv from the devastation seen along the country's principal front line in the east and south. While the majority of ground combat is stalemated along this front line, both parties are employing long-range armaments to target another territory.
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