Western journalists claim that the occupation army of the Russian Federation for the first time since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine was probably able to destroy two Patriot air defense systems near the front line.
What is known about the alleged destruction by the Russian army of two Patriot air defense systems
According to the journalists of the publication, the Patriot air defense system allegedly detected a Russian reconnaissance drone, after which the occupiers allegedly struck the launchers with an Iskander ballistic missile.
At the same time, the authors of the material assume that the probable destruction of two launchers of the Patriot air defense system at once could have happened in the Pokrovsk region of Donetsk region.
It is noted that according to preliminary information, two installations allegedly exploded as a result of a possible missile attack by the Russian occupiers, and the representatives of the crews apparently died.
The article notes that Russian war criminals allegedly hunted Patriot air defense systems, which had previously shot down several Su-34s of the Russian army.
The authors of the material note that Ukraine's probable loss of two Patriot air defense systems is 13% of their total number transferred by partners. This may worsen the situation of the Ukrainian military.
The Ukrainian military relies on Patriot systems to intercept ballistic missiles, including Iskanders. However, these systems are only effective when they are deployed and ready for combat, not when moving between firing positions.
Forbes journalists also did not understand why the Ukrainian Patriot crews allegedly did not have their own anti-aircraft cover during transportation.
In addition, the publication noted that replacing the two Patriot air defense systems, which are believed to have been destroyed, could take months or even years and cost millions of US dollars, since Raytheon is the only manufacturer of such equipment.
What ISW analysts say
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that they have no evidence of the destruction of two Patriot air defense systems.
ISW emphasizes that footage released by Russian propagandists on the network showed destroyed German MAN KAT1 trucks that can be used to transport Patriot air defense systems.
Ukrainian forces also use MAN KAT1 trucks as means of logistical support. ISW has not yet found evidence that Russian forces destroyed the Patriot system in Ukraine, the ISW report says.
It is worth noting that the occupiers also claimed that they allegedly destroyed a Ukrainian S-300 in the same area.
And the information about the "hitting" of two Patriots was spread later, allegedly supporting this evidence with relevant videos.
