Ukraine's new step with Patriot?
This is the first time Ukraine has claimed to have intercepted an entire series of Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and, if confirmed, it would be an impressive demonstration of the effectiveness of the newly deployed Western air defense system, according to Reuters.
Six Kinzhal missiles, a type of ballistic missile that travels at 10 times the speed of sound, were among 18 that Russia launched into Ukraine overnight, lighting up the Kyiv sky with lightning and showers of debris after they were destroyed in mid-air.
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Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said they had successfully intercepted all of these missiles. According to Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian military intercepted six Kinzhal missiles launched from aircraft, as well as nine Kalibr cruise missiles launched from ships in the Black Sea and three Iskander missiles fired from land.
Rocket explodes in the sky over Kyiv on May 16
But the Russian Defense Ministry announced on the same day that its forces had destroyed a Patriot air defense system supplied to Ukraine by the United States with a Kinzhal missile, according to the military newspaper Zvezda. The ministry also said that last night's attack targeted Ukrainian combat units and ammunition depots.
Early on May 16, air raid sirens sounded across almost all of Ukraine, and remained in the capital Kyiv and surrounding areas for more than three hours.
Authorities in Kyiv said three people were injured by falling debris. Last night's attack was unprecedented in scale, with "the largest number of missiles launched in the shortest amount of time," according to Serhiy Popko, head of the city's military administration.
The more Russia attacks, the stronger Ukraine's air defense system becomes?
Earlier this month, Ukraine claimed for the first time that it had successfully destroyed a Kinzhal missile in Kyiv using a newly deployed US Patriot system. However, Russia called this fake news.
Previously, the Patriot's ability to intercept Kinzhal missiles was only theoretical. Successfully intercepting six Kinzhal missiles at once shows that the Patriot can be a reliable defense system, not a matter of luck.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced the Kinzhal as one of six “next-generation” weapons in 2018, has frequently touted the missile as evidence of Russia’s world-leading military hardware, capable of confronting NATO.
The Kinzhal, whose name means dagger, can carry a conventional or nuclear warhead with a range of up to 2,000km. Russia used them in combat for the first time in Ukraine last year and has only admitted firing them on a handful of occasions.
Russia launches heavy airstrikes on Kyiv, Ukraine says it shot down all missiles
Ukraine's First Lady Calls on South Korea to Provide Non-Lethal Aid
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on May 16 and asked Seoul to provide non-lethal military assistance to Kyiv, the South Korean presidential office said.
Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is visiting South Korea as a special presidential envoy, according to Reuters. She told President Yoon that she hopes Ukraine will receive non-lethal military equipment such as mine detectors from South Korea. Yoon said South Korea will actively help the Ukrainian people.
In an interview with South Korea's Yonhap news agency published on May 16, Ms. Zelenska raised the possibility of Mr. Yoon visiting Ukraine, saying the visit would be "very useful."
Ukraine shows progress in Bakhmut, President Zelensky gets more Western weapons
South Korea, a major producer of artillery shells, has said it does not provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its ties with Russia. But in an interview with Reuters last month, President Yoon said his government may not provide “just humanitarian or financial assistance” if civilians in Ukraine are attacked on a large scale or if there is a “situation that the international community cannot tolerate.”
US aid to Ukraine running out?
At the current rate of spending and with the debt ceiling situation unresolved, the US government's budget for Ukraine is running out with no sign of replenishment.
This month, the US announced $1.2 billion in assistance that includes drones, artillery, air defense systems, software and technical support to connect Ukraine's air defense system, CNN reported.
Will the pressure of victory be too great to make it difficult for Ukraine to counterattack?
According to Politico , this means that the $48 billion aid package for Ukraine that the US Congress passed in December 2022 has only about $6 billion left and will likely run out by mid-summer. In that situation, according to Politico , some lawmakers are concerned because they do not know when the White House will propose a new large aid package and whether it will be enough in the context of the approaching Ukrainian counterattack.
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