Russian missile downed by American 'Patriot' defense system operated by Ukraine

May 7, 2023

Ukrainian forces operating American-made Patriot Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) defense systems have downed a hypersonic missile from Russia according to a senior Ukrainian official.

Mykola Oleshchuk, a commander within Ukraine’s air force, claimed that the country's military had destroyed a Russian hypersonic missile thanks to the Patriot system given to them by Western countries last month.

Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, added "They were saying that the Patriot is an outdated American weapon, and Russian weapons are the best in the world. Well, there is confirmation that it effectively works against even a super hypersonic missile."

If these reports are true, it means that Russia has lost one of its greatest weapons against Ukraine.

Until the alleged downing of the hypersonic missile by the Patriot defense system, Ukraine had no options for combatting Russia's advanced missiles.

Furthermore, if these reports are true, it is going to be a massive hit to Russian morale. The optics of Russia's advanced technology being defeated by decades-old American technology are terrible and come as many Russians sour on the war.