Ukraine has denied Russia’s claims of having destroyed the US-made Patriot missile defense system during an overnight strike on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv this week. Kyiv said that such claims are just Russian propaganda.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told local television that Russia did not destroy its Patriot missile defense system during its overnight strike in Kyiv. Moscow made the claim on Tuesday, saying that its Kinzhal hypersonic missile destroyed a Patriot system in Kyiv. However, two US officials said that while a Patriot system was likely damaged, it did not seem to be destroyed.
“I want to say: Do not worry about the fate of the Patriot,” said Ihnat, ruling out the possibility that a Kinzhal missile was what destroyed the system. “Destroying the system with some kind of Kinzhal, it’s impossible. Everything that they say there, it can remain in their propaganda archive.”
On the same day Russia claimed to have destroyed a Patriot missile system, Kyiv claimed to have intercepted six Kinzhal missiles, which Moscow also denied. It remains to be seen which weapon Ukraine used to shoot down such missiles, which Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed to be an example that Moscow has world-beating military weapons.
The Patriot missile system is one of the most sophisticated defense units provided to Ukraine by the West to aid in pushing back against Russian forces that invaded the country last year. It is also considered to be one of the most advanced US air defense systems.
On Thursday, Russian missiles continued to bombard Ukraine this week, killing one person in the port city of Odesa and the falling debris from destroyed missiles starting fires in two districts in Kyiv. Ukrainian military administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said in a post on Telegram that two more people were wounded from the attack in Odesa.
“Most of the enemy’s missiles were shot down over the sea by the Air Defense Forces. Unfortunately, an industrial object was hit: one person died, two were injured,” said Bratchuk in the post.
Photo: 2nd Lt. Emily Park (US Army)/Wikimedia Commons(CC by 2.0)


U.S. Weapons Delays to Europe Amid Ongoing Iran Conflict
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to Exit Federal Government at End of May
U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate as Hormuz Crisis Deepens Amid Ceasefire Strains
Iran's Internal Power Struggle Threatens Strait of Hormuz Stability
Trump Teases Imminent Release of UFO Documents After Government Review
Iran-Lebanon War: Ceasefire Reached as U.S. and Iran Edge Closer to Nuclear Deal
Ukraine's Svyrydenko Returns from U.S. With Renewed Support and Diplomatic Momentum
Anthropic CEO Meets Trump Officials to Discuss Powerful New AI Model Mythos
Trump and IRS in Settlement Talks Over $10 Billion Tax Return Leak Lawsuit
Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Again After Brief Reopening, Rattling Global Energy Markets
U.S. and Philippines to Build 4,000-Acre Tech Hub Under Pax Silica Initiative
China Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope Between Iran Peace Efforts and Trump Summit
UNICEF Condemns Killing of Aid Workers Delivering Water in Gaza
Trump's Iran Claims Spark Market Confusion Over Strait of Hormuz
Myanmar Grants Amnesty to Over 4,000 Prisoners Under New President Min Aung Hlaing
France and Britain Lead 40-Nation Talks to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
Peru Election 2025: Vote Count Delays Spark Calls to Remove Electoral Chief 



