No Game Changer for Ukraine: Patriot Systems Fail Against Russian Ballistic Missiles

The missile system does not protect the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Russian Iskander and Zircon missiles, an expert has affirmed.

Western models of the Patriot air defense missile system cannot counter Russia's Zircon and Iskander-M. ballistic missiles, British expert Alexander Mercouris said on his YouTube channel.

"It's clear that the Patriot missile system cannot defend against Iskander-M ballistic missiles and it cannot defend against Zircon hypersonic missiles which the Russians have now demonstrated in battle, and it's probably vulnerable to other Russian missiles like the Kinzhal as well. So, it's not going to change the situation in the skies over Ukraine," the expert emphasized.

He also noted that providing Kiev with other air defense systems from Western allies will probably not change the dire situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and will not protect them from airstrikes.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it's military destroyed a Ukrainian division of the US-made Patriot air defense missile system at a combat position.

In Ukraine, there has been increasing discussion lately about problems with providing air defense systems. For example, the CEO of the energy holding DTEK, Maxim Timchenko, admitted that the country's air defenses have weakened noticeably compared to a few months ago. At the end of April, President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Western partners provide seven Patriot systems, although in March he claimed that Ukraine would suffice with just five to protect industrial facilities.