Russia said Thursday its missiles had struck two launchers of a US-made Patriot air defense system in Ukraine, with Kyiv admitting the weapon was hit but saying it was lightly damaged and still in operation.
Kyiv is reliant on Western air defense systems, particularly Patriots, to protect itself from the barrage of Russian missiles and has been calling for more deliveries.
The Russian defense ministry said its forces struck “two Patriot launcher stations made in the US” as well as a control station and radar set that are part of the Patriot system.
The attack also hit troops gathered at the spot and other military equipment, it added.
A Patriot battery is made up of several parts including a manned control station, a radar set to detect incoming threats, and launcher stations, which transport missiles and provide the platform for the launch.
In an earlier report Wednesday evening, the ministry said it launched an Iskander missile strike on the position of a division operating Patriots in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, apparently referring to the same attack.
As a result, one Patriot launcher was “destroyed” and “another Patriot launcher was damaged,” the ministry said, posting a video shot from the air showing explosions in fields.
“The enemy only damaged a few pieces of equipment, not destroyed them. This is war and not only people but also equipment is ‘wounded’,” Ukraine’s air force spokesman, Yuriy Ignat, said.
“Moreover, the same Patriot unit continues to perform tasks in the region,” he added.
A Ukrainian military blogger said the strike took place in Pavlograd, in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, but said the damage was “not critical.”
Kyiv received its first Patriot systems in April last year and does not make public how many it has in total.
Russia reported destroying two Patriot launchers in July.