Ukrainian air defenses, including US-delivered Patriot batteries, went into high gear, launching dozens of munitions at a swarm of incoming Russian missiles and drones on May 16, 2023.

Ukrainian forces claim to have shot down all 18 missiles which consisted of S-400, Kalibr cruise missiles, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Russian spokesmen claimed a Patriot battery was destroyed. The initial missile attack was followed up with a swarm of Iranian-made Shahed loitering munitions, which may have been responsible for the strike on the Patriot, if the Russian claims are legitimate.

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Will Killmore

Will Killmore is a US Army combat infantry veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He has deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 172nd Stryker Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade. Following his time in service, he successfully pursued a certificate of journalism and has been a blogger for Funker530 since 2014. Follow Will’s bad takes on Twitter