U.S. Confirms Patriot Systems in Ukraine Shot down Russian Hypersonic Missile

The United States said it’s confident that the Patriot missile system eliminated a Russian Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missile May 4.

This was reported by CNN with reference to a source. The interception of the Kh-47 Kinzhal was reportedly carried out by a Ukrainian crew that was trained in Oklahoma. It was conducted without having U.S. advisers on the battlefield.

If the report is true, then Patriot’s destruction of the Kinzhal appears to have demonstrated its ability to counter air-launched hypersonic missiles, which was only theoretical up until now.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier publicly stated that the Kh-47 was capable of overcoming all existing air defense systems. “This intercept put the Russian calculus in question,” the CNN source says.

It is also emphasized that the production of hypersonic ballistic missiles was difficult for the Russian Federation, and sanctions added even more problems.

Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is similar to the Iskander short-range ballistic missiles in terms of dimensions and appearance. The maximum speed of the missile is 10 M. MiG-31К is capable of carrying one such missile and hitting targets at a distance of up to 2,000 km.