Two Patriot battery components were damaged in Tuesday’s Russian attack, but the system was “never disabled,” according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, CNN reported.

Patriotic systemPhoto: ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia

The Russian attack, which consisted of Kinjal hypersonic missiles, Caliber cruise missiles and other munitions, damaged the Patriot’s battery generator and some of the system’s electronics.

Three other US officials said the damage was minimal, with one calling it “minor”. The system remained operational throughout the attack and remains active, the official said.

The U.S. sent inspectors to check the system on Tuesday after the Ukrainians told them the system appeared to be damaged, one of the officials said.

U.S. officials are still assessing exactly how the Patriot components were damaged, as it does not appear that any of the components were directly hit by a Russian Kinjal missile or other munition.

One possibility is that debris from a fallen missile could have damaged Patriot components, but officials are also considering other options.

The Patriot system probably won’t need to be removed from the battlefield

The system itself is still operational and the radar component, one of its most critical elements, was not damaged, officials said. US officials do not believe the Patriot will need to be taken off the battlefield for repairs.

A complete Patriot battery has six main components: generators, radar, control station, antennas, launch station, and interceptor missiles. The components work together to launch a Patriot missile and successfully guide it to its target.

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