According to Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, the ballistic missile was hit by the Patriot air defense system. He congratulated the Ukrainians, but asked not to spread such information prematurely in the future.
On the night of May 4, defenders of Ukraine shot down a Russian Kh-47 "Kinzhal" cruise missile, which was previously considered invulnerable.
On May 6, the commander of the Air Force of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, officially admitted this in his Telegram channel.
According to him, at night, the MiG-31K fighter launched the X-47 "Kinzhal" from the territory of Russia, but the Ukrainian military was able to shoot it down with the Patriot anti-aircraft missile complex received from the United States. The Russians have repeatedly boasted that such ballistic missiles cannot be hit by air defense or anti-missile systems, in addition, they allegedly do not pass electromagnetic radiation and radio waves, and therefore are practically invisible to radars.
"I congratulate the Ukrainian people on a historic event. Yes, we shot down the 'unparalleled Kinzhal'," Mykola Oleschuk reported. take advantage of the enemy".
The commander added that the Air Force of Ukraine will provide detailed information about the downed objects, but in due course. He also asked Ukrainians not to panic during shelling and to believe in the air defense forces.
On May 5, for the first time, information appeared that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation had intercepted a Kinzhal hypersonic missile of the Russian Armed Forces over Kyiv. Photos of the wreckage of the allegedly downed missile appeared on the network, which looks different from the winged Kh-22 or ballistic "Iskander". At the same time, KGVA reported the defeat of Shahed drones and a missile, probably of the "ballistic type".