Ukrainian Air Force destroys at least one Russian fighter jet with Patriot surface-to-air missile system

At least one Russian aircraft has been added to the list of targets hit by the MIM-104 Patriot air defence system. This is reported by CNN.

Here's What We Know

The story says the Ukrainian Air Force has shot down at least one Russian fighter jet using the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system. The information was obtained from congressional staff and US Defense Department officials.

The Russian plane was destroyed when it tried to launch a missile at Ukraine. Previously, the Ukrainian Air Force was unable to shoot down fighters due to the limited range of anti-aircraft missile systems, including IRIS-T, NASAMS and Soviet-era systems.

U.S. officials stated that Ukraine makes its own decisions regarding firing. The United States has no influence over how or when air defence forces use the Patriot surface-to-air missile system.

The MIM-104 Patriot system was damaged during one of the missile strikes on Kiev this week. Which component was disabled is not specified, but it is known for sure that the radar was not hit. In any case, the surface-to-air missile system has already been repaired and returned to fully operational condition.

Source: CNN