German journalist Julian Roepcke criticised the Ukrainian military for using Patriot systems so improperly, which had previously been destroyed after being parked less than 10 metres apart.
Earlier, Russian armed forces spotted a Ukrainian convoy near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine that appeared to include at least two quad launchers for a battery of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.
The crew of a Russian Iskander hypersonic missile took aim and launched a direct hit on the Ukrainian convoy from hundreds of miles away. Two Patriot launchers exploded, almost certainly killing the crews, Forbes reported.
Julian Roepcke underlined that the two Patriot launchers were placed less than 40 kilometres from the front, less than 10 metres apart, which ultimately allowed Russia to launch “a short-range ballistic missile” and destroy them both.
“Less than 40 kilometres from the front, Ukraine placed two Patriot launchers less than 10 metres apart, allowing Russia to fire a short-range ballistic missile at them and destroy both. Without words,” he said, commenting on a video showing the destruction of the systems.
Mobile launchers are critical components as well as Ukraine’s most effective and best air defence system, but the Ukrainians have lost up to 13 percent of their Patriot launchers in one disaster.
