The Russian defense ministry reported an attack on the Patriot air defense system in Kiev, saying the US-made system was struck by a Dagger hypersonic missile. A ministry spokesman described the hit as a precise Kinzhal strike on the Patriot battery located in the Ukrainian capital.
The defense ministry added that on the night of May 16, Russian forces targeted Ukrainian positions and storage sites with precision weapons. In the preceding 24 hours, Russian air defenses claimed to have shot down seven Storm Shadow long-range missiles and the same number of HIMARS projectiles. The ministry also reported the interception of three HARM anti-radar missiles and twenty-two Ukrainian drones.
In response, Ukrainian air forces said that in the morning they faced an attack comprising eighteen missiles of various types, including six Dagger missiles, nine Kalibrs, three Iskander missiles, and S-400 missiles, along with nine unmanned aircraft. Kyiv asserted that all incoming missiles were destroyed.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, called on the defense ministry to address questions following the Ukrainian military’s statements. He emphasized that the Kinzhal missiles possess unique tactical and technical characteristics, a claim he said was supported by Russian technical experts.
Night attack on Kiev
During the night of May 16, strikes crossed Ukraine, with Ukrainian media reporting explosions and widespread air defense activity across Kiev. Sources linked to military reporters associated with the Russian Spring Telegram channel described the operation as the largest strike against Ukrainian military installations in the capital, noting a probable hit on the air defense system in the Svyatoshinsky district.
Video footage from Kiev security cameras surfaced the following morning, showing air defense batteries firing about thirty missiles in the city, with two missiles appearing to fall to the ground. A moment later, an explosion intensified the plume of smoke as missiles were launched from the air defense positions.
Kiev officials described the night assault as extraordinarily intense, recording a peak in attack missiles within a short period. The city’s leadership confirmed casualties and reported that three residents died in the attacks.
Patriot works in Ukraine
On May 9, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Ukraine had successfully intercepted a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile using a Patriot system provided to Kyiv. The Ukrainian armed forces corroborated the report of the interception.
By May 11, several Russian outlets cited unidentified Defense Ministry sources saying that the Patriot did not capture the Kinzhal due to the weapon’s rapid maneuvering. They described such claims of interception as wishful thinking and incomplete representations of the event.
In mid-April, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister noted that Patriot systems arrived in the country not only from the United States but also from the Netherlands and Germany. Yuri Ignat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, stated that Patriot crews were on combat duty, but they could not fully secure the entire territory. He added that the Patriot would help keep Russian aircraft at a greater distance from Ukrainian borders, while acknowledging that a complete solution would require faster, more capable aircraft such as the F-16, which can respond quickly and operate where needed.
The Patriot system comprises a missile, launchers, a radar unit, a control station, a power generator, and a high-frequency antenna mast. According to the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Patriot launcher costs around ten million dollars, with missiles around four million dollars each. A single complete battery can reach about one billion dollars, with roughly four hundred million allocated for equipment and about six hundred ninety million for missiles. The United States supplied Kyiv with a battery that had previously been in use, and Germany announced its own delivery of a Patriot system.
Experts suggest that building a robust air defense for Kyiv would require a substantial number of Patriot batteries, with estimates ranging from twenty to twenty-five units to provide meaningful protection.
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