The United States Department of Defense has confirmed that Ukraine's military has successfully shot down a hypersonic missile called “Kinzhal” (NATO reporting name Killjoy) using the Patriot air defense system.

The Pentagon spokesperson, Patrick Ryder, confirmed the news and stated that the system is part of a broader range of air defense assets that the United States and the international community have provided to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Air Force Commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, had reported last week that the Patriot system had shot down a Kinzhal missile launched by Russia during a strike on Ukraine on May 4. Oleshchuk stated that a missile was fired by a MiG-31K aircraft from the Russian territory and was shot down over the Kyiv region.

Initially, the Ukrainian Air Force had denied the allegations made by the Ukrainian portal Defense Express that the AFU shot down the Kinzhal missile.

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The Russian authorities call the Kinzhal missile hypersonic, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed in August 2022 that the missile was impossible to detect or intercept.

The successful intercept of the missile by Ukraine's Patriot air defense system has proven otherwise.

 

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Sjoerd
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Neuken?

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