Ukraine’s Patriot Missile Intercept of Russian Hypersonic Missile Raises Questions for Defense Systems.

Atlanta, USA (CNN) — The United States has great confidence in the accuracy of Ukraine’s claim that it used a US-made Patriot air defense system to intercept a Russian hypersonic missile, a source familiar with the matter said.

While the Patriot system has succeeded in countering ballistic missiles, its ability to stop hypersonic air-launched missiles was purely theoretical until last week. The source said Ukraine’s objection now provided factual evidence of that capability — something that was seen within the Pentagon as a major development.

The source added that Ukraine’s claim of intercepting the Russian missile caused an uproar inside the Pentagon late last week, noting that it is important for several reasons.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the capabilities of Russian hypersonic weapons, describing them as capable of overcoming all current air defense systems.

Producing hypersonic ballistic missiles has long been a challenge for Russia, and sanctions have made it more difficult.

But before last week, Russia calculated that if it used a hypersonic ballistic missile, whatever it fired would almost certainly be hit. And it calls Russia’s estimates into question.

The source added that the fact that this interception was conducted by a Ukrainian crew that was trained in Oklahoma State, but had no American advisers on the battlefield, is a feather in the Pentagon’s cap, describing it as a significant payoff.

The source said the interception also caused a great deal of uncertainty for Russia, raising questions about whether Ukraine possesses a sustainable countermeasure against hypersonic ballistic missiles.