UPDATE - Russia says it hit US Patriot air defense system in Ukrainian capital

ADDS REMARKS FROM RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia claimed Tuesday that it hit a US-made Patriot air defense system in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile during airstrikes overnight.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it carried out “concentrated strikes” with long-range air and sea-based weapons against deployment points of the Ukrainian armed forces.

It said Russia hit storage facilities containing Western-delivered ammunition, weapons and equipment, adding that all targets were struck.

It noted that Russian air defense systems intercepted seven UK-made Storm Shadow missiles fired by Ukraine as well as three US-built HARM missiles and struck seven US HIMARS multiple rocket launchers during the day.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov claimed on Twitter that six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were shot down over Kyiv.

“Thank you to our Air Force service members and our partner states, who invested in securing the skies over Ukraine and all of Europe,” Reznikov said, adding that Russian weapons “can and should be countered by Western ones.”

Separately, Ukraine’s Strategic Communications Directorate claimed that nine Russian Kalibr missiles and three ballistic missiles were shot down.

It added that Russia used Shahed drones during the attacks and also conducted aerial reconnaissance with three operational-tactical drones.

Commenting on the remarks by Ukrainian officials, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said Kyiv "shot down" more missiles than Russia launched.

"We do not launch as many Kinzhals as they allegedly shoot down with their statements every time. Moreover, the number of these “Ukrainian interceptions,” and who really controls the American complexes there is still a big question – three times more than the missiles that we launch," he said.

Shoygu added that the Ukrainian representatives are always getting the types of missiles wrong.