The Ukrainian military has used the Patriot air defence system to shoot down a Russian bomber.
Source: Revealed in a comment to CNN by unnamed representatives of the Pentagon and the US Congress
As noted, the Russian plane targeted by Patriot was going to launch missiles at Ukrainian targets.
Other air defence systems that are in service with Ukraine do not have sufficient range for this kind of task.
Patriot is considered one of the most sophisticated US air defence systems used against air targets, including aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles. It usually includes launchers along with radars and other aids.
Earlier, the media reported that a Patriot air defence system had been damaged during a Russian attack on Tuesday night. Ukraine and the United States have begun to discuss how best to fix the system.
The Pentagon said that one of the Patriot systems in Ukraine had indeed been damaged, and it had already been repaired.
