Moscow, August 17, 2024, The Europe Today: The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that its missiles have successfully destroyed two US-made ‘Patriot’ air defense batteries and a German IRIS-T system in two regions of Ukraine. The strike, captured in videos released by the ministry, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to the Russian MOD, the first strike targeted a field near Lyubimovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, where reconnaissance drone footage revealed two Patriot launchers and an AN/MPQ-65 radar station. The video shows the field being hit by cluster munitions from an Iskander-M missile, leading to the destruction of the radar station and both Patriot launchers.
A second video, reportedly filmed near Zhelobok, also in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, depicts another Ukrainian position housing three Patriot launchers and a second AN/MPQ-65 radar. In the footage, one of the launchers fires two missiles before an Iskander missile strike obliterates the field with cluster bombs. The Russian MOD claims that two of the launchers and the radar were completely destroyed in this attack.
These developments follow continued pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for increased air defense support from the West, as Ukraine seeks to counter Russian airstrikes. The United States and its allies have supplied Ukraine with an unspecified number of advanced air defense systems, including the Patriot and IRIS-T, as part of their ongoing military aid.
The destruction of these systems represents a significant blow to Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, as the country continues to face heavy bombardment. The situation remains tense, with both sides intensifying their military efforts amidst ongoing international scrutiny and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
