US official says Russia lied about destroying Patriot missile defence system in Ukraine – CNN

Russia's missile attack on Ukraine on the night of 15–16 May did not destroy a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, as the Russian Defence Ministry has claimed.

Source: CNN, citing an anonymous US official

Details: A US official told CNN that a Patriot system was likely damaged, with the extent of the damage still being assessed. This assessment will determine whether the system can be repaired on the spot, or needs to be pulled back.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said that "a high-precision strike by the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system in the city of Kyiv hit a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system." Ukraine did not comment on the Russian statement, but said that its forces intercepted all six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that Russia had launched.

Russia has targeted the US-made Patriot systems with hypersonic missiles before, including once on May 4. That attack failed, and Ukrainians successfully intercepted the missile before it could hit the Patriot, the officials said. The Pentagon confirmed that Ukrainian forces deployed a Patriot system to down the Russian missile that targeted it.

CNN wrote that the Patriot missile system "has a powerful radar to detect incoming targets at long-range, making it a potent air defense platform capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and more."

However, CNN explained, "the radar emission necessary to spot threats at a distance also makes it possible for the enemy to detect the Patriot battery and figure out its location. And unlike some shorter-range air defenses provided to Ukraine that are mobile and harder to target, the large Patriot battery is a larger and more stationary system, making it possible for the Russians to zero in on the location over time."

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