Two American officials said on Tuesday that a Patriot missile defense system employed by Ukraine certainly sustained some damage as a result of a Russian assault, but that it did not seem to have been completely destroyed.
One of the advanced air defense systems delivered by the West to assist Ukraine fend off a Russian airstrike campaign that targeted important infrastructure, power stations, and other locations is the Patriot system.
Under the condition of anonymity and citing preliminary data, a U.S. official said that Washington and Kyiv were already discussing how to restore the system and that, as of right now, it did not seem the system would need to be evacuated from Ukraine.
The person noted that information can change over time and that the United States will have a clearer grasp in the following days.
One of the most cutting-edge air defense systems in the United States, the Patriot is capable of defending against aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. It often consists of launchers, radar, and other support vehicles.
Russia’s military ministry said on Tuesday that during a nighttime attack on Ukraine, a “hypersonic” Kinzhal missile had destroyed a Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system made by the United States.
An whole volley of six Kinzhal missiles was among the 18 Russian missiles that Ukraine claimed to have shot down overnight. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu rejected the Ukrainian assertion when questioned about it, according to the RIA news agency.
Which Western weapon Ukraine utilized was unclear. The Pentagon was unable to respond right away.
