Putin may use Iranian missiles and drones to destroy Patriot system - media

Russia may use Iranian-supplied missiles and drones to try to destroy a Patriot air defense missile systems the United States is delivering to Ukraine.

That's according to Forbes, Ukrinform reports.

"Putin may ultimately use Iranian-supplied weaponry and Iranian tactics in any attempt he makes to eliminate Ukraine's Patriot. Specifically, he might try and replicate a combat-tested strategy used by the Houthis against the Saudi-led coalition during the Yemen war," the article says.

It adds that that strategy saw the Houthis use their Qasef-1 loitering munitions, a variant of the Iranian Ababil-2, against the coalition's Patriots. The munitions were programmed with open-source GPS coordinates of the Patriot positions, which they used to target their radars. Once they neutralized those radars, the Houthis would fire SRBMs, many of them also based on Iranian designs, without worrying about the Patriots successfully intercepting them.

"If the Ukrainian Patriot is fixed in place in Kyiv, which is very likely, Russia may launch an unprecedented number of Shaheds in swarm attacks directed against its radar and bombard the area with SRBMs to ensure the destruction of that battery. By doing so, Moscow would signal that its attacks are unstoppable despite the efforts of the U.S. and its allies to build up and enhance Ukraine's air defenses," Forces said.

At the same time, the media outlet draws attention to the fact that Washington has never suggested that supplying the Patriot will constitute a so-called game-changer in this war. "The delivery is much more symbolic of continued American resolve to support Ukraine. However, its destruction could likewise prove symbolic for Putin, who may conclude that launching a major operation to destroy it would be a worthy endeavor purely for the propaganda value," the article reads.

Photo from the website forwardobserver.com