The Russian Armed Forces have destroyed three launchers from the Patriot surface-to-air missile system currently in service with the Ukrainian military. The report was confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to statements released to the press.
The ministry did not specify the exact location of the Ukrainian Patriot systems, but noted that the operation was carried out using aircraft, attack drones, and missile troops.
One Patriot battery typically includes four launchers, with a total estimated cost of $1.1 billion. Each individual missile for the system costs no less than $4 million.
Since the start of the special military operation, Russian forces claim to have destroyed a total of:
- 622 surface-to-air missile systems,
- over 24,000 tanks and armored vehicles,
- more than 1,500 multiple rocket launch systems.
The reported destruction of Patriot systems marks another episode in the ongoing high-stakes battle between Russia and Western-supplied air defense technology in Ukraine.
