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Ukraine is happy because it claims to have successfully brought down a Russian hypersonic missile, which is said to be very difficult to defend against. The Kinzhal missile was intercepted on the evening of May 4 local time, using a US-supplied Patriot defense system.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk announced the operation on Telegram on Saturday. "I congratulate the people of Ukraine on this historical event. Yes, we shot down the 'unique' Kinzhal," wrote Oleshchuk.
This unconfirmed claim, if true, would be the first time that Ukraine has successfully intercepted one of Moscow's most modern missiles. Russia has previously touted the speed and capabilities of the Kinzhal missile.
The Russian military said that Kinzhal, which is in the ballistic or intercontinental category, has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers so that it can be fired far from the battlefield, at 10 times the speed of sound. Therefore, it is said to be extremely difficult to intercept and take down.
Kinzhal can load warheads up to 500 kilograms, both conventional and nuclear bombs. Ukrainian intelligence believes the Russians only have a few dozen Kinzhals, although this has not been able to verify. Several Kinzhal missiles were launched at targets in Ukraine in March, but it was not clear what damage they caused or whether they all hit their targets.
The US itself agreed to send its state-of-the-art surface-to-air defense system, the Patriot, in October 2022. The Patriot missiles can target aircraft, cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles such as those used by Russia to bombard Ukrainian settlements during the conflict.
If one of the Patriot systems does destroy the Kinzal as Ukraine claims, then the capabilities of one of Russia's next-generation weapons are questionable.
After the Kinzhal was first tested, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Kinzhal's hypersonic speed would allow it to overcome all existing anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems, delivering nuclear and conventional warheads over a range of more than 2,000 kilometers.
Russia has made ambitious claims for several of its new military systems, but their prowess has yet to be fully proven. Analysts questioned the Kinzhal's capabilities during the final phase of its flight, suggesting that the missile may not be maneuverable or rapidly approach the target
The Patriot deployment itself is a major shift in Ukraine's air defense capabilities. Previously they relied heavily on outdated Soviet-era S-300 air defenses and were in increasingly limited supply.
The Patriot adds modern ammunition to Ukraine's air defenses, as does the German IRIS-T system. However, the technology is also much more complex, requiring around 100 personnel to operate it.
Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Inhat said that Russia once said that the Patriot was an outdated American weapon and that Russian weapons were the best in the world.
"There is confirmation that the Patriot works effectively even against super hypersonic missiles. Intercepting Kinzhal is a slap in the face for Russia," he was quoted as saying by us from CNN.