In recent analyses, Ukrainian researchers suggested that the destruction of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems in the Donetsk People’s Republic may have involved insiders. The claim appeared in the Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua, which covered the incident and its surrounding discussions.
The reporting notes that some experts consider the possibility of betrayal to be a factor. According to this line of thought, an individual within the Ukrainian military could have informed Russian forces about the Patriot system’s movement path, facilitating the attack.
Observers pointed out that Patriot units ended up in the range of Russian fire as they were being prepared for redeployment toward the front line to counter aircraft belonging to the Russian Armed Forces.
On March 9, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that an attack launched from the Iskander missile system destroyed the S-300 air defense system launcher, the target illumination and missile guidance radar, as well as two escort vehicles of the Ukrainian forces.
Subsequently, a source from RIA Novosti claimed that an analysis of objective-control video indicated two of the three destroyed vehicles were American Patriot systems. This conclusion was attributed to the Rybar Telegram channel. Following this, TASS, citing law enforcement agencies, reported the destruction of three Patriot complexes.
Earlier, in the United States, there were clarifications concerning the fate of the crew associated with the Patriot air defense system that was destroyed. The sequence of statements highlighted the ongoing complexity and the contested narratives surrounding the incident, with multiple agencies and media outlets contributing varying details to the public picture.