Ukraine claimed on Sunday that Patriot missiles furnished by the United States have been used to shoot down over a dozen Russian missiles once deemed “undefeatable” by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin first launched his invasion of neighboring Ukraine in late February 2022, with the conflict having since dragged on longer than most would have ever predicted as it nears its two-year anniversary. According to estimates from the Ukrainian military, Russian forces have suffered nearly 360,000 deaths in the war, as well as countless losses of military hardware.
The Kremlin does not provide a running total of reported Ukrainian losses, but said on Saturday that 660 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the past day. Newsweek could not independently verify either count. While Ukrainian sources might be inflating such numbers, other experts agree that they reflect a dire situation for Russia’s forces.
On Sunday, Colonel Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, claimed during a newscast appearance that Ukrainian forces had downed 15 Russian Kinzhal missiles in total using the anti-aircraft Patriot missiles, which first arrived from the U.S. in the spring.
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“Patriot is able to down ballistic and aeroballistic missiles such as Kinzhal,” Ihnat said, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. “The first [supposedly] ‘unrivaled’ Kinzhal Kh-47 M2 missile was shot down on 4 May. So we started counting on that day. Then there were six more, then another six, and as of now, we have downed 15 Kinzhal missiles using the Patriot system, which is very good news for us.”
Despite this performance, Ihnat said that its actual stock of Patriot systems was “few,” and stressed that more would be needed to continue contending with Russia.
“A few batteries are not enough,” he added.
Newsweek reached out to Russian officials via email for comment.
First unveiled by Putin in 2018, the Russian president once dubbed the Kinzhal missiles, also known as “KILLJOY,” as “super weapons” that would be “unkillable.” In a report from last month, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense noted that the missiles’ actual performance on the battlefield has been “mixed.”
“KILLJOY has almost certainly had a mixed combat debut,” the ministry’s report explained. “Many of its launches have likely missed their intended targets, while Ukraine has also succeeded in intercepting attacks by this supposedly ‘undefeatable’ system.”
In May, when Ukraine reported shooting down its first Kinzhal missile, the U.K. ministry said that the development would likely be a difficult one for Russian forces to bear.
“The apparent vulnerability of Killjoy is likely a surprise and an embarrassment for Russia,” the ministry said at the time.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.