Hypersonic missile downed for the first time, early signs of unfolding counter-offensive

UKRAINE - In Brief 06 May 2023 by Dmytro Boyarchuk

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Today, we received official confirmation of a groundbreaking development: for the first time since the full-scale invasion began, Ukraine's air defense successfully intercepted and destroyed a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile. Russia possesses only a limited number of these hypersonic missiles and typically reserves them for critical targets. In the past, Ukraine's air defense had admitted its vulnerability to such advanced weaponry. However, on May 4th, following an unusual incident involving the Kremlin and a drone, rumors surfaced that a ballistic missile headed for Kyiv had been successfully intercepted. Today's announcement confirmed the successful destruction of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile. The recent deployment of the Patriot air defense system played a crucial role in this remarkable achievement. The newfound capability to counter hypersonic missiles is a crucial skill, especially as a widely anticipated counteroffensive seems to be already underway. While the General Staff has remained officially tight-lipped, recent days have seen increased strikes on the invaders' supply lines, and Russian military bloggers are raising the alarm about intensified Ukrainian advances on various fronts. Furthermore, it appears that the Russians are publicly acknowledging their inability to capture even the remnants of Bakhmut. The counteroffensive may be protracted and is likely to differ from the Russian "meat assaults:, but it seems safe to say that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is in motion.