Russian Il-76 shot down by Patriot air defense system - NewYorkTimes

The Russian military transport aircraft Il-76 was shot down by the Ukrainian Defense Forces with the help of the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. This was reported by NewYorkTimes journalists, citing officials who confirmed the use of the Patriot on condition of anonymity, UNN reports.

Details

US officials did not comment publicly on the downing of the Russian plane. However, privately, on condition of anonymity, they stated that the reports of the use of the Patriot missile were accurate. They knew this from American intelligence.

However, the question of who was on the downed plane remains open. U.S. officials have not confirmed the identities of the passengers cited by the Russian side, but noted that some of the passengers on the downed IL-76 may have been Ukrainian prisoners of war. US and Ukrainian officials say Russia may have overstated the number of deaths.

According to Western officials familiar with the intelligence, Ukraine acted on legitimate but erroneous intelligence when it shot down the Russian Il-76. After all, this aircraft had previously been used to transport missiles, which automatically made it a desirable target for Kyiv.

Some U.S. officials have said that they encouraged Ukraine to strike far beyond the current front lines. However, they cautioned that the Ukrainian military should do so only on the territory of their own country, mindful of the risk of escalation.

Nevertheless, U.S. officials did not criticize Ukraine for using the Patriot system to target Russian aircraft in general. Instead, they said that this is an innovation that Ukraine needs to embrace and utilize.

According to the New York Times, last month, U.S. military planners met with their Ukrainian counterparts in Wiesbaden, Germany, to discuss new tactics that could help change the dynamics of the war.

One question was whether operations with the Patriots were sustainable, especially if Congress cut off further military aid to Ukraine.

The Congressional Research Service has estimated that each interceptor costs $4 million. If U.S. funding is suddenly withdrawn, the supply of air defense is likely to be jeopardized.

Optional

Patriot is a defense system that is typically used to protect a location rather than shoot down aircraft. 

From the beginning, the Patriot was designed as a system to defeat aircraft. However, after the Gulf War, it was redesigned to protect the skies and defeat tactical ballistic missiles, as these weapons were becoming more common and important on the battlefield.

The Ukrainians seem to have returned the Patriot to its original design and are using the missiles as anti-aircraft weapons.

According to the newspaper, in January, Ukrainians, believing a Russian cargo plane to be loaded with missiles, ambushed it. They moved one Patriot launcher closer to the border and then fired an interceptor when the cargo plane was within range. US officials said the tactic was creative but not revolutionary.