Ukraine has claimed to have shot down six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles launched by Russian troops into their country as Moscow scrambles to deny the failures of its expensive weapon.
Russia sent out Vladimir Putin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu to deny the Kyiv claim that it had downed six Kinzhal - or Dagger - missiles, although it is hard to know which side is telling the complete truth.
The invaders had previously claimed that the Mach 10 system cannot be stopped by the West’s air and missile defence systems.
Mr Shoigu said: “I have already said and I will repeat it again.
“We have not launched as many Kinzhals as they allegedly shot down with their statements….
“And it is still a big question of who really controls the American complexes there.
“They always make mistakes with the type of missiles. That's why they don't hit.”
Mr Shoigu’s appearance confirms the importance to the Kremlin of stressing to the Russian public that their hypersonic arsenal is unstoppable.
Russia claimed that in its biggest missile bombardment of Kyiv to date it made a massive strike on the points of deployment of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as stores for ammunition, weaponry and equipment delivered from Western countries.
It emphasised that the Kinzhal hypersonic missile "destroyed" the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov hailed an “unbelievable success” in shooting down six Kinzhals with the US-made Patriot-MIM 104 missile systems.
The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, had said earlier that his forces had intercepted the six Kinzhals launched from aircraft, as well as nine Kalibr cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three Iskanders fired from land.
But a Russian source told RIA Novosti state media: "Due to the speed of the Kinzhal, the US SAMs were suddenly hit from an air ambush - the enemy combat crews could do nothing to protect their anti-aircraft systems.”
The United States and the European Union have supplied Ukraine with weaponry to defend itself since Russia invaded in February 2022.
