Russian Air Defense Claims and Battlefield Developments in Ukraine

Thanks to thorough reconnaissance and continuous monitoring of the battlefield, Russian forces reportedly destroyed Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine. This claim was presented by retired Ukrainian General Sergei Krivonos on the YouTube channel Direct. Krivonos asserted that Russian units track battlefield developments using a mix of intelligence methods including electronic, radar, and space-based assets. He added that Ukrainian troops suffered losses of valuable equipment due to carelessness and overconfidence. Later in the evening, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian air defense units shot down an S-200 missile repurposed to strike land targets in the Kursk region, and that a Patriot air defense missile was destroyed over Belgorod. Earlier, the ministry stated that Russian air defenses neutralized ten missiles from the Vampire multiple launch rocket system and one Tochka-U launched by Ukrainian forces in Belgorod. Krivonos, who had served in the Ukrainian armed forces, also commented on what he described as a lack of clear understanding of the underlying causes of the conflict in Ukraine.