Yana Stavskaya 07:46, 05/19/23
The United States emphasized that Ukrainians themselves decide how to use the Patriot in order to protect their people.
The Ukrainian military at least once used the American Patriot air defense system to shoot down a long-range aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, CNN writes, citing Pentagon officials and Congressional staff.
Journalists recalled the episode in an article about the prospects for providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. The authors note that without Western aviation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have to improvise, and this use of the Patriot is just such a case.
According to the Americans, an attempt to shoot down the fighter was carried out in recent weeks.
CNN also explains that this type of aircraft mostly remains far behind Russian lines, making it difficult for Ukraine to destroy them with, for example, NASAMS.
This time, the Patriot was targeting a Russian fighter jet that had taken off to bomb civilian Ukrainian cities.
The United States stressed that the Ukrainians themselves decide how to use the Patriot in order to protect their people.
(C)UNIAN 2023
CNN had another article stating Biden would approve requests to transfer F-16s but nobody has filed the paperwork to do so
This is great news. Now, with every such attack, the mafiosi will risk losing something more valuable than missiles … planes and their crews.