Ukraine teams up with the US to shoot down a Russian hypersonic missile

Norman Ray

Global Courant 2023-05-06 19:17:25

Kyiv, Ukraine — The Ukrainian Air Force on Saturday claimed to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kiev using newly acquired US Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow’s most modern missiles.

Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram message that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile was intercepted during a night raid on the Ukrainian capital earlier this week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems.

“Yes, we shot the ‘unique’ Kinzhal,” Oleshchuk wrote. “It happened during the May 4 night attack in the skies of the Kiev region.”

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He said the successful interception of the Kinzhal “is a slap in the face to Russia”.

Ukraine received the first delivery of the Patriot missiles at the end of April. It has not specified how many of the systems it has or where they have been deployed, but is known to have been supplied by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands.

Germany and the US have acknowledged sending at least one system each and the Netherlands has said it has supplied two, although it is not clear how many are currently in use.

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