Who is more effective in the conflict between the "Patriot" air defense system and the "Kinzhal" hypersonic air-to-ground missile?
Both sides in the conflict, Russia and Ukraine, claim to destroy the opponent's most advanced weapons, while claiming that the weapons in their arsenal are "invincible".
And is that really the case, or is there propaganda in all of this?
A former Russian or Soviet fighter pilot opposed Ukrainian claims and says that Kinzhal missiles can destroy the MIM-104 Patriot system provided there is an element of surprise.
Russia claimed that on May 15 it hit the Patriot air defense systems supplied by the Americans to Ukraine with its Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
The Ukrainians initially rejected the claim, but video footage shows that the Patriot battery was hit by a missile.
Later, US officials anonymously confirmed to Reuters that the battery of the Patriot PAC-3 air defense system was damaged and could be repaired without removing the system from its firing position, and the latest reports claim that these air defense systems have been repaired.
Former Soviet pilot Vladimir Kondaurov stated in an interview with NEWS.ru that the Patriot air defense system could be destroyed by the Kinzhal missile if there is an element of surprise regarding the direction of the attack and from what distance the missile is launched.
