The American Patriot air defense missile system sustained minimal damage during the Russian attack on Kyiv on May 16.
Source. This was stated by US officials to CNN.
Washington sent inspectors to check the air defense system after Ukrainians reported that it had come under fire, one of the officials said.
As it turned out, the Patriot is in working order, and its radar station, which is one of the most important elements, was not damaged. The U.S. believes that the SAM will not need to be removed for repair, as the damage is "minor."
A complete Patriot battery consists of six main components: generators, radar, control station, antennas, launcher, and interceptor missiles. They all work together to make a successful launch.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Patriot system was hit by a hypersonic Dagger.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said they managed to shoot down all six Kinzhal. A representative of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Yuriy Ihnat, noted that the Patriot cannot be destroyed by such a missile, and that there is "no need to worry about the fate of the SAM," as the system consists of components that are separated from each other.
Background. The day before, it was reported that the United States was assessing the extent of damage to the Patriot system after the Russian missile attack.