OUR Ukraine today refuted the allegation that a Russian hypersonic missile destroyed a US-made Patriot missile system during an airstrike in Kyiv.

The Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday following a nighttime airstrike on the Ukrainian capital. Two U.S. officials later said the Patriot system may have been damaged but did not appear to have been destroyed.

“I want to say: don’t worry about the fate of the Patriot,” Yury Ikhnat, official representative of the Ukrainian Air Force, told Ukrainian television.

He ruled out the possibility that a Russian Kinzhal missile shot down the Patriot system.

“It is impossible to destroy the system with some kind of dagger. Everything they say there can remain in their propaganda dossier,” he said.

Patriot vs Dagger

The Patriot system is one of a number of advanced anti-aircraft systems purchased by the West to help Ukraine fend off Russian airstrikes following Moscow’s 2022 invasion.

It is considered one of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems in the United States, including against aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, and usually includes launchers, radar and other support facilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted the Kinzhal missile as proof that his country has state-of-the-art military equipment.

Ukraine said it shot down six Kinzhal missiles on Tuesday, but Russia has denied this. It is not clear what Western weapons Ukraine used, and the Pentagon is yet to comment.

^{According to APE – MEB, Reuters}