Strikes were carried out from Moscow overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. “Yes, we shot down the Kinjal missile, which is second to none,” said Ukrainian General Mykola Oleshchuk.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 06/05/2023 at 13:48, updated 06/05/2023 at 14:46
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The Kinjal hypersonic air-to-surface missile was placed under a Mig-31K in 2018. Vadim Savitsky (CC)
“A historic event.” This is how the Ukrainian General Mykola Oleschuk described the fact that he shot down a Russian Kinjal-type hypersonic missile for the first time during air raids on Moscow from Wednesday to Thursday night.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, when unveiling the Kinjal missile in 2018, called it an “ideal weapon” because it was very difficult for enemy defenses to intercept.
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“I congratulate the Ukrainian people on this historic event,” General Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram. “Yes, we launched the Kinjal missile, which is second to none,” he said happily. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the missile was shot down by a Patriot air defense system over Kiev at around 2:30 a.m. local time.
Reinforced Ukrainian defenses
Ukraine has asked its western allies to help it strengthen its air defense system. In fact, Moscow had been bombing its energy infrastructure all winter. And in mid-April, Kiev received its first Patriots, which are considered one of the most advanced air defense systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the patriots would “significantly” strengthen Ukraine’s defenses against Russian attacks.