The Russian military said today that it had hit two launchers of the US Patriot air defense systems. – expensive and strategic weapons provided to Ukraine by its Western allies to defend against the daily bombardment of Moscow's forces, AFP reported, quoted by BTA.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian troops “hit (…) two launchers of American “Patriot“ systems, without specifying the time of the strike.
Earlier, the Russian military posted an aerial video on Telegram purporting to show an Iskander missile strike. by battery “Patriot“ in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine. The video states that one launcher was destroyed and another – damaged.
AFP is unable to confirm the authenticity of this footage. The Patriot system, delivered to Ukraine for the first time in spring 2023, plays an important role in protecting Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.
Authorities in Kiev did not immediately comment on Moscow's claims, as Ukraine usually avoids disclosing military losses.
Ukraine has several "Patriot" systems, but details about them remain secret. According to a military blogger, the strike was carried out in Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk region, but the damage was not “critical“ and the battery remains “working“.
In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed the need for at least seven additional Patriot systems to protect Ukraine from Russian airstrikes.