MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) - The Russian Armed Forces have been striking Patriot air defense systems used by Ukraine to protect facilities in its territory, Russian Air Defense and Missile Defense Forces Commander and Aerospace Forces deputy Commander Andrei Semyonov said.
"The significant combat capabilities of Russian air defense systems to repel strikes by all types of enemy air-launched weapons have been confirmed during the special military operation, unlike the much-vaunted Patriot air defense systems supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries, which, as the special military operation has shown, have proven to be unable either to protect designated facilities or counteract modern Russian weapons, in other words, unable to protect themselves," Semyonov told journalists on Friday.
Russia's large-scale air defense shield includes S-400, S-350, S-300V4, Buk-M3 (M2) and Tor-M2 systems by Almaz-Antey, as well as Pantsir-S systems, produced by High Precision Systems, he said.
"Short-range anti-aircraft missile systems (Strela-10 MANPADS) have also proven their efficiency, as they, being in the forward echelons of our forces, destroy dozens of the enemy's reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles every day, as well as Ukrainian assault and army aircraft operating at low and minimum altitudes. In all, these systems account for a third of the total number of destroyed Ukrainian piloted aircraft," Semyonov said.