“Ukraine Uses Patriot Missile to Intercept Russian Advanced Hypersonic Missile”

07.05.2023

Ukraine said it had shot down a Russian-launched hypersonic missile over Kiev with its newly acquired US-made Patriot air defense missile system. This is the first report of the use of Patriot missiles in Ukraine.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that it shot down a Russian hypersonic missile over Kiev using a Patriot missile defense system provided by the United States. If true, it would be the first time Ukraine has successfully intercepted Russia’s most advanced hypersonic missile.

Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that during a Russian night missile strike on Kiev earlier this week, a Khan hypersonic missile was used by Ukrainian forces using a U.S.-supplied Patriot air defense Missile shot down. “Yes, we shot down the ‘Majestic’ dagger,” Oreshchuk wrote on social media, as the missile was launched from Russian territory by a MiG-31K fighter jet.

The Dagger hypersonic missile is the latest and most advanced air-launched missile developed by Russiahypersonic missile, The range is said to exceed 2,000 kilometers, and it can fly at 10 times the speed of sound, so it is difficult to intercept. Due to its hypersonic speed and large warhead, the Knife missile can destroy fortified targets such as underground bunkers and tunnels in mountains.

Ukraine received the first batch of Patriot anti-missile systems at the end of April this year. The United States and Germany acknowledged that they each delivered at least one Patriot air defense missile system to Ukraine, while the Netherlands said it had delivered two Patriot missile systems to Kiev.

Wagner “continues to fight for Russia”

Hours after Ukraine announced it shot down a Russian hypersonic missile, Russia said it had shot down a Ukrainian ballistic missile off the Crimean peninsula. Moscow-appointed Crimea chief executive Sergei Aksyonov said on social media that a Ukrainian ballistic missile was “shot down over the Republic of Crimea” with no casualties.

According to the TASS news agency, RussiaMercenary Armed Wagner RegimentPrigozin, the leader of theBachmutAfter that, the armed forces will continue to fight for Moscow: “Wagner’s fighters will continue to fight for Russia’s interests in the next operations.”

This follows Prigozin’s announcement on May 5 that Wagner will withdraw from Bakhmut next week. He made unprecedented severe accusations against the Russian military twice in the video, complaining that his troops did not get enough ammunition and “sent to death needlessly” in Bakhmut.

It is reported that Wagner’s position in Bakhmut will be taken over by the troops of the Chechen chief Kadyrov on Wednesday. Russian-Ukrainian troops have been fighting fiercely in the city for months. According to Prigozin, Russian forces have occupied 95 percent of the city.

(AP, Reuters, AFP)

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