Kinzhal Claims, Interceptions, and Patriot Roles: A Comprehensive Timeline

The claim that the Kinzhal hypersonic missile cannot be intercepted by the American Patriot air defense system is presented as a senior Russian defense source’s assessment.

According to this source, the supposed halt of a Kinzhal launch is framed as a tactic to dampen expectations. The source adds that the weapon’s speed surpasses the operational limits of Western air defense systems supplied to Ukraine, including Patriot deployments.

It is further noted that the Kinzhal’s maneuver during its final flight phase and its nearly vertical approach to the target make interception by anti-aircraft missiles unlikely.

The interlocutor suggests that such claims about the potential interception by Kiev are made to justify the high expenditure of Western-provided ammunition for air defense.

He also states that the number of interceptions is currently two to three times higher than what actually occurred, and that incoming missiles would not receive attention.

On May 10, Bild published footage of the wreckage of a Kinzhal, allegedly downed on May 4. In the video, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko displays fragments of what is called a Dagger to a correspondent. When asked whether this was the first successful downing of a Kinzhal by Ukrainian forces, the official replied affirmatively.

Shortly after, Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov commented on Klitschko’s Telegram feed, suggesting the showcased equipment included a concrete-piercing bomb designed to destroy reinforced structures.

A commentator later asserted that Klitschko had been misled by Ukrainian forces and that he had circulated a BetAB-500ShP bomb described as a Dagger.

Former Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin also weighed in, downplaying Klitschko’s role in any hypothetical discovery, and stating that the Kinzhal is far larger and more capable than Klitschko’s publicized demonstration suggested. He added that the missile is about thirty times more formidable than some imaginations allow.

On May 9, the Pentagon confirmed that Ukraine had engaged the Kinzhal with Patriot missiles provided to Kyiv. A Pentagon spokesperson, Patrick Ryder, indicated that details would need to be obtained from Ukrainian authorities and did not specify the Patriot variant used.

The same official confirmedWestern transfer of the Patriot system to Kyiv, noting earlier reports that Germany and the Netherlands had supplied them. He did not clarify the exact Patriot modification employed against the Kinzhal.

At a later point, CNN altered its coverage by omitting the term Dagger and removing a video clip from Ryder’s briefing, leaving only the Pentagon’s acknowledgment that Patriot was used to counter the missile.

On May 4, Ukrainian Air Force officials initially said they could not verify the downing of the Kinzhal, though Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s air defense, left room for the possibility and asked for more time to assess.

Ignat noted that enemy aviation operated at night and that a MiG-31 was observed in the area, with ballistic weapons also posing a threat. He stressed that there was no confirmed strike, though the possibility could not be ruled out.

On May 5, Ukrainian defense authorities denied that the Dagger had been shot down over Kyiv. Ignat later reminded listeners that the matter had been addressed multiple times and that while the Dagger could have been used, a ballistic miss might not have been recorded.

The following day, Ukraine’s military leadership affirmed that a hypersonic missile had been downed during a night operation over the Kyiv region on May 4. The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Nikolai Olshchuk, stated that the missile was launched from Russian territory by a MiG-31K.

Ukraine began using Western Patriot systems in late April, with a second Patriot division deployed to Kyiv by April 27.

Earlier remarks by Yuriy Ignat in March indicated that Ukraine might not be able to shoot down Russian hypersonic missiles with the existing capabilities, emphasizing that Patriot is not a universal solution and that funding remains a critical need.

In response, Russian authorities asserted that a major retaliatory strike had been launched against Ukrainian military infrastructure, including energy facilities and industrial sites. They stated that the operation achieved its goals using high-precision long-range weapons, including the Kinzhal, and highlighted the missile’s ability to maneuver and evade air and missile defense systems.

Russian officials also described the Kinzhal’s speed as vastly exceeding typical air defense thresholds, with Putin noting a speed of up to four thousand meters per second and a range exceeding two thousand kilometers. They stressed that the Kinzhal can be equipped with conventional or nuclear warheads, with a warhead mass around half a ton.

Regarding Patriot’s interception capability, it is claimed that the system can counter missiles moving at speeds up to about two thousand five hundred meters per second.