US allies in Kyiv have confirmed the downing of a Russian Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missile by Ukrainian Patriot SAM operators. During a briefing on May 9, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed the Ukrainian Air Force command’s statement about the successful defeat of a hypersonic missile.
I can confirm that they shot down a Russian missile using a Patriot missile defense system. As you know, this system is part of a larger array of air defense capabilities that the United States and the international community have provided to Ukraine.
said General Pat Ryder.
Recall that on May 5, President of the Air Force Yuriy Ignat and Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk announced the first successful defeat of the hypersonic missile X-47 Kinzhal with the help from the American Patriot air defense system.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces became the first army in the world to shoot down a ballistic missile using the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.
– reported Yuri Ignat.
However, the photographs circulating on the web made experts doubt the words of the Ukrainian propagandists. Theoretically, the Kinzhal could only be hit by the most modern modification of the Patriot air defense system with the kinetic interceptor PAC-3 MSE installed, however, the transfer of these complexes to Ukraine was not reported.
Moreover, Ignat at first denied the information about the destruction of the Russian “dagger”. Therefore, one cannot exclude the will of the American leaders to embellish the capabilities of their anti-aircraft missile system, which would have shot down a hypersonic missile.
Photos used: MApN/wikimedia.org
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