Russia claims a Su-35 fighter jet struck a US-made MIM-104 Patriot air-defence system in Ukraine using a Kh-31PM anti-radiation missile on August 23 near Odesa, reportedly launching the missile from about 125 km away.
Russian forces released cockpit footage that allegedly shows the Su-35 launching the Kh-31PM, but the footage and any damage to the target have not been independently verified.
Ukraine has not confirmed the strike, while some reports say the missile may have hit a Patriot radar station rather than the complete air-defence system.
The Kh-31PM is designed to detect and home in on radar emissions, with a reported range of up to 300 km and speeds reaching Mach 4.
The claim comes as Ukraine faces shortages of Patriot systems and interceptors while seeking more air-defence support from Western allies.
🇷🇺 Russia | Su-35 | Kh-31PM | Patriot Air Defense
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Britain’s new prime minister is already packing for New York.
Andy Burnham, fresh from talks in Kyiv, says he’s looking forward to heading to the UN General Assembly next month. It will be his first trip to the United States since taking office.
Burnham plans to put Ukraine’s dwindling stock of Patriot interceptors squarely on the table with Donald Trump.
After meeting President Zelenskyy, he said he is now “quite clear” on what needs to happen in the weeks ahead.
European leaders are also eyeing another Coalition of the Willing meeting on the sidelines, hoping to unlock more of those critical missiles before winter sets in.
Burnham called the shortage “fixable,” but only if Washington and its partners move together, according to a Bloomberg interview conducted in the Ukrainian capital.
It’s no secret that Russian ballistic missiles have been hammering Ukrainian cities virtually unopposed due to a lack of interceptor missiles. While France has given Ukraine a license to produce Aster 30 missile interceptors, the Patriot remains the more effective interceptor against ballistic missiles.
🇷🇺🇺🇦🇺🇸 Russia is reportedly preparing a major military mobilization involving around 500,000 soldiers and thousands of armored vehicles to open a new front against Ukraine, in addition to carrying out military pressure against NATO countries to test the alliance's unity.
According to the Wall Street Journal, this was the topic of the meetings that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held in Moscow on the morning of August 25, 2026, warning Russian authorities that the US possesses intelligence data confirming the alleged military mobilization for a large-scale Russian offensive, issuing an ultimatum to Putin.
All this movement comes right after a major NATO exercise that encircled Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on August 18, 2026, generating concern in Moscow. There are local reports that preparations for mobilization, civilian evacuations, setup of logistics centers, and training exercises are being carried out by the Russians in Kaliningrado, indicating possible preparations for an imminent conflict.
When the WSJ allegation about Russia launching an operation to test NATO's integrity may indicate that there are Russian plans for an offensive against the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—which border Russia and rely entirely on NATO protection, since their armed forces are negligible.
🚨🇷🇺🇺🇸 MOSCOW — TENSIONS SKYROCKET
Reports are circulating about an extremely tense exchange between Vladimir Putin and the CIA director.
According to these initial rumors, the Russian president would have rejected U.S. demands regarding a de-escalation in Ukraine and ordered the American official to leave Russia immediately.
Even more dramatic, some sources claim that Moscow would have considered a radical measure against the U.S. embassy. The U.S. flags 🇺🇸 have already been removed.
If these reports were confirmed, it would mark a major diplomatic escalation between Washington and Moscow.🔥