Using newly acquired American Patriot missile defense systems, the Ukrainian air force claims to have shot down a Russian hypersonic missile above Kyiv. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk identified the missile as a Kinzhal-type ballistic missile, a cutting-edge Russian weapon. Ukraine’s first intercept of one of Russia’s newest missiles was called “a slap in the face for Russia” by Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat. Air-launched Kinzhal missiles can go 2,000 kilometers before refueling, travel ten times the speed of sound, carry massive warheads, and are capable of penetrating underground bunkers and mountain tunnels. Ukraine had difficulty defending against these threats prior to the introduction of Patriot missiles.
Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that a MiG-31K plane fired a Kh-47 missile at Kyiv from Russian territory before being destroyed by a Patriot missile. Ukraine had only recently taken delivery of its Patriot missile systems via supplies from Germany, the United States, and the Netherlands. The nation has not disclosed the number of systems or their deployment locations, but Ukrainian troops received the comprehensive training needed to identify targets with the systems, lock on radar, and fire. While visiting the United States in August 2021, Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, declared he first wanted to acquire Patriot systems, calling them “a dream.” About 90 soldiers are required to operate each battery. However, he had been told that acquiring them was impossible.
Ukraine’s air force also announced that it had used its new Patriot missile systems against “even a super-hypersonic missile,” debunking prior beliefs that it would be used to counter Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles. Ukraine’s armed forces have already claimed they lack the capabilities necessary to intercept Kinzhal missiles. They had not disclosed when it might launch its anticipated counteroffensive against Russia in the spring. However, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, thanked U.S. Gen. Mark Milley for ongoing American aid and briefed him about the situation and preparations for Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. NATO has helped train and equip nine Ukrainian brigades of combined arms, armor, and motorized infantry, as revealed by Milley, who said that “the Ukrainians right now have the capability to attack.”
In other developments, officials in both Russia and Ukraine announced that they exchanged prisoners of war. The Special Operations Units of Ukraine have charged that Russia used phosphorus munitions in its eastward assault on Bakhmut. Russian soldiers refuted the allegations, which had not been verified. The use of incendiary weapons in areas with a high concentration of civilians is against international law.
