US confirms Kyiv used Patriots to down Russian hypersonic missile
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Loading... - Ibrahima Diop
- 10 May 2023
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The Pentagon has officially verified the reports that the Ukrainian military has effectively downed a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile using U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems. The top Pentagon spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, confirmed the news during a press briefing held on Tuesday. "I can affirm that they successfully downed a Russian missile by implementing the Patriot missile defense system. As you know, this system is part of a wider range of air defense capabilities that the United States and the global community have provided to Ukraine," stated Ryder.
However, Brig. Gen. Ryder did not divulge which nation supplied the missile battery responsible for shooting down the hypersonic missile. It is worth noting that Patriot air defense systems were utilized by the U.S. in combating Iranian ballistic missiles in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, but this marks the initial time the system has intercepted a hypersonic missile.
Furthermore, the U.S., alongside its allies and partners, is actively supplying ground-based air defense capabilities and munitions to aid Ukraine in securing its sovereign skies and protecting its people from Russian cruise missiles and Iranian drones, said Ryder. The Biden administration has promised $1.2 billion in long-term military assistance to Ukraine, including air defense systems and munitions, earlier this Tuesday.
