In one of the first uses of newly-deployed US-made Patriot anti-missile systems in Ukraine, the Russians targeted a battery with an advanced hypersonic missile, but the Patriot system destroyed the weapon before reaching the target, CNN reports. It marked the first time the Patriot was used in Ukraine and the first known time it’s gone up directly against Russia’s most advanced weapons.
Hiding the exact location for security purposed, US officials say the Russians likely picked up on unique signals transmitted by the Patriot system, which is a stationary, fixed platform whose location will catalogued by attacking forces, to find its location. Ukraine currently has two Patriot systems, one each from the US and Germany. Russian forces have never faced the system directly and will likely attempt to overwhelm the position if it should choose to destroy it, but with the Kremlin reportedly running low on ammunition and with the economy faltering under the strain of war, it may be more prudent to avoid the airspace protected by the systems.