Patriot air defense system unable to intercept Russia’s Kinzhal missile

The Kiev regime is engaged in wishful thinking with its claims of intercepting a Kinzhal hypersonic missile that is invulnerable to Patriot air defense systems, a high-placed source in Russia’s Defense Ministry told TASS on Thursday.

"The fake report that a Kinzhal was allegedly intercepted is a wishful thinking attempt," the source stressed.

The Kinzhal hypersonic missile’s velocity exceeds the maximum combat modes of Patriot air defense systems that the West supplied to the Kiev regime, he said.

"In addition, the anti-missile maneuver conducted by the Kinzhal in the final flight path and practically a vertical run on the target rules out its intercept by surface-to-air missile systems," the source emphasized.

Kiev’s regular reports on alleged Russian missile intercepts aim to justify its over-expending of ammunition for Western-supplied air defense systems, he said.

"The number of intercepts is 2-3 times larger than the amount of missiles that we really launch. And, let me draw your attention, not those missiles that come down. They are doing this to justify the over-expending of the ammunition of Western air defense systems, exaggerating their efficiency," the high-ranking source in the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The US Department of Defense claimed on May 9 that Ukraine had shot down Russia’s latest Kinzhal hypersonic missile by a Patriot air defense system delivered to Kiev. Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder answered in the affirmative when asked to confirm that Ukraine had shot down a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile with a Patriot air defense system.[TASS]