Foreign media report destruction of two Patriot SAMs in Ukraine
International media reports that two Patriot launchers were destroyed near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. A Russian drone spotted the launchers near the front line while they were being transported, and an Iskander ballistic missile hit the convoy.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Forbes.
As noted, this is the first time in the two years of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine that the Russians have managed to find and destroy the Patriot missile systems.
Meanwhile, Bild journalist Repke writes that the launchers were 10 metres apart, and they "were parked long enough for Russia to fire a ballistic missile at them".
In turn, the Institute for the Study of War does not confirm the destruction of Ukrainian Patriots, as the Russians have shown footage of the destruction of MAN KAT1 trucks, which can both transport Patriot systems and be used in logistics.
Forbes recalls that Ukrainian Patriots SAMs have destroyed about a dozen Russian fighter-bombers over the past month, blunting Russia's air superiority.
"It's possible that the launchers and crews that Iskander hit this week 20 miles (over 30 kilometres - ed.) from the front line were the same ones that shot down many Russian aircraft.
The air over eastern Ukraine may have become much safer for the Russians."
The publication calculated that if this information is confirmed, the Ukrainians lost up to 13% of their Patriot launchers in one crash, and apparently had no air cover while on the move.
It is noted that the Ukrainian military needs Patriot SAMs specifically to shoot down ballistic missiles, including Iskanders. However, they are only capable of destroying targets when the batteries are deployed and on alert, and not roaming from one firing position to another.
It is unclear why the Ukrainian Patriot crews did not have their own anti-aircraft cover during the transport, Forbes notes.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT PATRIOT SAMs
A Patriot SAM division (or battery) consists of a command post, radar, and launchers (up to 8 launchers), each with 4 launch containers with missiles of different types (against ballistics, against aerodynamic targets (aircraft and helicopters). The price of one battery is about a billion dollars.
The US began developing Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems 40 years ago. Patriot was first used in combat in the early 1990s, during the Gulf War.
On 19 April 2023, the first Patriot air defence systems arrived in Ukraine.
