How was the Patriot missile defense system taken down by the Kinzhal in Ukraine?

The US says its Patriot missile defense system may have been damaged in Russia’s latest missile attack on Kiev on May 16. Moscow has launched eight missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital this month alone.

Last month, leaked US intelligence documents revealed that Ukraine’s stockpile of Soviet-era medium-range anti-aircraft missiles was severely depleted. Alexander Rodnyansky, an economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, also admitted that the country’s air defense system was “not good enough to cope.”

Kinzhal super missile destroys Patriot air defense

Patriot interceptors are capable of engaging multiple targets at once, including high- and medium-altitude aircraft, cruise missiles and some types of ballistic missiles. Western military analysts believe Russia will attempt to neutralize the defense system to open up space for air strikes.

Weighing 5 tons, with a range of 1,800km, and a maximum speed of up to Mach 12.5 - exceeding the interception capabilities of other air defense systems in Ukraine's service, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile is the "trump card" of missile attacks from Russia.

The Kinzhal (Kh-47) hypersonic missile is the "trump card" in Russia's attacks.

Meanwhile, Patriot, equipped with a powerful radar system, is capable of detecting Kinzhal missiles launched from fighter jets, but these radar reflections also emit signals that Russia can capture and trace back to air defense positions inside Kiev.

Unlike short-range air defense systems with high mobility, Patriots consist of many bulky parts that are difficult to move in time after firing, making them "easy prey" when exposed.

In the latest attack, Moscow's massive attack quickly overloaded the enemy's air defenses as they had to continuously intercept the overwhelming number of attacking missiles. A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said that after the missile defense systems had exhausted their ammunition, the Kinzhal "killer" was fired from a waiting MiG-31 fighter jet to deliver the final blow to the Patriot.

A video shared on Telegram shows a suspected Patriot air defense site in Kiev firing 30 missiles in a two-minute period in multiple directions, apparently to intercept the Kinzhal. A few minutes after the firing stopped, a large flash of light erupted inside the site, possibly the moment the missile system was hit.

Tom Korako, director of the CSIS missile defense project, assessed that Russia's attack was complex and sophisticated with many types of missiles with different trajectories, but was not intended to disrupt Ukraine's air defenses, but aimed directly at the Patriot complex - the most valuable target in the defense system.

War of "attrition"

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Ukraine has received many short- and medium-range air defense missiles from NATO members. However, the main force protecting the capital's skies still rests on two Patriot complexes - one provided by the US and the other by Germany.

On May 16, Russia launched a series of missile attacks on Ukraine's air defense position in Kiev, claiming to have destroyed a Patriot defense complex.

Kiev's air defense "fire net" is a mix of some of the most advanced defense systems today, such as the German IRIS-T battery, and less modern platforms, such as the Hawk anti-missile system - the predecessor of the Patriot.

Meanwhile, the weapons that Ukraine possessed before the war broke out were mainly produced during the Soviet era, such as the S-300 and Buk M1 medium-range air defense missiles. The latest statistics from CSIS show that these older systems still have an interception efficiency of about 80% in combat, while the success rate of newer defense platforms such as the US's IRIS-T or NASAMS can be up to 90% - 100%.

However, the ongoing “war of attrition” is rapidly depleting Kiev’s air defense arsenal. “With limited missiles remaining, Ukraine will need to preserve them to protect its highest-priority targets,” the CSIS report said.

In the latest attack on May 16, the commander of the Ukrainian military forces said that Russia launched 18 missiles in less than 60 minutes, from many different directions, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles from fighter jets, Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea, Iskander ballistic missiles from the mainland, and many UAV and suicide drone squads.

(According to CNN, CSIS, RIA Novosti)

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