Kyiv says it shoots down volley of Russian hypersonic missiles

The RIA reported that Sergei Shoigu, Russian minister of defence, dismissed the Ukrainian claim when asked. According to his ministry, a Kinzhal destroyed a Patriot surface-to air missile defence system built by the United States.

The defence ministry released a statement saying that a hypersonic Kinzhal rocket had hit an anti-aircraft Patriot missile system made in the United States in Kyiv.

Two US officials confirmed that a system had suffered some damage, but not been destroyed. One official said discussions were in progress to repair it and it appeared the system wouldn't have to be removed.

Valeriy Zaluzhnyi had earlier said that his forces intercepted six Kinzhals, nine Kalibr cruise-missiles fired by ships in the Black Sea, and three Iskanders.

Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, was quoted saying that the number of missile interceptions claimed by Ukraine in general was "three times greater" than the number launched.

"And they always get the wrong type of missiles." He said without further explanation that this is why they do not hit them.

This was the first claim by Ukraine that it had fired a volley consisting of several Kinzhal missiles. If confirmed, this would demonstrate the effectiveness of its recently deployed Western air defences.

Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the United States and European Union have provided Ukraine with weapons to defend themselves.

The EU and NATO member Hungary refused to provide military equipment to Ukraine's neighbour, but on Tuesday the government announced that it had block funding for the next tranche of EU off-budget support, known as the European Peace Facility.

Early on Tuesday, air raid sirens were heard in nearly the entire Ukraine. They were also heard for over three hours throughout the Ukrainian capital as well as the surrounding area.

"A year ago we weren't able to shoot the majority of terrorists' missiles - especially the ballistic ones" President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated in an address delivered by video link to the Council of Europe Rights body in Iceland.

"And now I ask one question. Is there anything that we cannot do?"

Officials said that the meeting of European leaders was focused on ways to hold Russia accountable for their war.

Russia claims its invasion was needed to counter the threat to its security that Ukraine's growing links with the West pose.

Ukraine and its allies have called it a war of conquest that was unprovoked and Ukraine has said it will not stop fighting until Russian forces have left its territory.

Flashes of light and debris

Ukraine's evening update Tuesday said that the six Kinzhal missiles were part of 27 Russian missiles fired against Ukraine in 24 hours. They lit up Kyiv and rained debris down after they were launched from the skies.

The weaponry used by Ukraine to defend itself against the Kinzhals was not known. Pentagon did not have a comment at this time.

The Russian defence ministry stated that its forces had launched a concentrated attack with high-precision long-range weapons from the air and sea against Ukrainian forces "as also at storage places for ammunition, weapons, and military equipment brought in by Western countries".

Kyiv authorities reported that three people were injured by falling debris.

Serhiy Poko, the head of the city's military administration, told Telegram that the attack missiles were "exceptional in their density" - they had the most number in the shortest time.

The Ukrainian military has confirmed that two S-300 rockets have also been fired at infrastructure in Kostyantynivka to the west of Bakhmut, a city embroiled in conflict.

What is HYPERSONIC?

The first Kinzhal missile was shot down by Ukraine using the newly installed Patriot system.

The US Military confirmed this but did not specify whether the Russian missile flew at hypersonic speeds at the time.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the United States (CSIS), the Kinzhal accelerates rapidly to Mach 4 (4,900 km/h) upon launch and can reach speeds up to Mach 10, or 10 times faster than sound. Hypersonic weapons are capable of travelling at least five times the speed of sound.

The Kinzhal, whose name means dagger, has the capability to carry nuclear or conventional warheads for up to 2,000 kilometers. The weapon was used for the first time in Ukraine in last year's war. Russia has admitted to firing it on only a few occasions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has often hailed the Kinzhal as a piece of Russian military hardware capable of competing with NATO.

As Ukraine prepares to launch an offensive against Russia’s invasion for first time in six months, Russian forces have increased the frequency of their air strikes.

Ukraine claims to have shot down the majority of missiles and drones.

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