June 15, 2023 – Russia and Ukraine news

[ad_1]

11:24 a.m. ET, June 15, 2023

Details of Ukrainian Commander Destroying Russian Kinzhal Missiles with US Patriot System by CNN’s Olga Vojtovych and Sarah Dean

A Ukrainian military commander has detailed how his brigade shot down one of Russia’s newest ballistic missiles using a US Patriot air defense system.

Ukraine says its defenses successfully intercepted six of Russia’s Kinzhal missiles on May 16. Commander Serhiy Yaremenko and his 96th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade were at the air command post at the center of the defense, although they did not realize this until much later. It defeated one of Russia’s most powerful weapons, he said in an interview on Thursday. “Frankly, I realized we had shot down the Kinzhal only after expert analysts had examined the wreckage,” Yaremenko told Army Inform, a website of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

When Russia launched its attack, “16 ballistic targets flew in from different directions, most of which were aimed at the Patriot system,” the commander said, referring to the powerful missile defense system provided by the United States.

“I am always proud of my subordinates, but this time even I was shocked at their endurance. People realized that ballistic missiles were heading directly towards them.”

“They did not panic for a second, acted in a coordinated and orderly manner, shared targets across sectors, and ensured their destruction at minimum range, high enough to minimize the potential for damage to infrastructure.”

Yaremenko said the Ukrainian fighters were impressed when all targets were finally destroyed and the airspace declared clear. Later they learned that there were six Kinzals among the attackers.

The tough defense proves the value of the Patriot system to Ukraine, Yaremenko said, holding it even against weapons that Moscow has made impossible to fight against.

More on Russian Missiles: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military have called the Kinzhal, or Kh-47, an example of Russia’s modern missile arsenal, claiming that its hypersonic speed makes it extremely difficult to intercept. An air-launched ballistic missile, the Kh-47 has a range of about 2,000 km (1,250 miles), so it can be launched far from the battlefield.

It travels at about 10 times the speed of sound and is derived from the Iskander short-range ballistic missile, which is launched from the ground. It carries a warhead weighing about 500 kilograms (about 1,100 lb).

Patriot missile attack: The Russian Defense Ministry claims it destroyed a US-made Patriot air defense system in Kiev during the May 16 attack, although Ukraine says it destroyed all Russian missiles in the early morning attack.

CNN reported that US officials examined the system and said the damage was “minimal”. It was not clear if the system was damaged by an actual missile strike or falling debris.

Patriot missiles have a powerful radar to detect incoming targets from long range, making it a powerful air defense platform capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and more. But the radar emission necessary to spot threats from a distance also makes it possible for the enemy to detect a Patriot battery and learn its location.

CNN’s Tim Lister, Natasha Bertrand, Oren Lieberman and Jim Sioto contributed to this report.

[ad_2]