Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile

KYIV, May 06 (AP/BBC): Ukraine's air force claimed Saturday to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defense systems, the first known time the country has been able to intercept one of Moscow's most modern missiles.
Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post that the Kinzhal-type ballistic missile had been intercepted in an overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital earlier in the week. It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems.
"Yes, we shot down the 'unique' Kinzhal," Oleshchuk wrote. "It happened during the night time attack on May 4 in the skies of the Kyiv region."
Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from the Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile.
The Kinzhal is one of the latest and most advanced Russian weapons. The Russian military says the air-launched ballistic missile has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles) and flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept.
A combination of hypersonic speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kinzhal to destroy heavily fortified targets, like underground bunkers or mountain tunnels.
Russia accused of using
phosphorus bombs
Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking the besieged city of Bakhmut with phosphorus munitions. In drone footage released by Ukraine's military, Bakhmut can be seen ablaze as what appears to be white phosphorus rains down on the city.
White phosphorus weapons are not banned, but their use in civilian areas is considered a war crime. They create fast-spreading fires that are very difficult to put out. Russia has been accused of using them before.
Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut for months, despite its questionable strategic value. Western officials have estimated that thousands of Moscow's troops have died in the assault.
Writing on Twitter, Ukraine's defence ministry said the phosphorus attack targeted "unoccupied areas of Bakhmut with incendiary ammunition".
Kyiv's special forces command added that Moscow's forces continued "to destroy the city".
It is unclear when exactly the alleged attack took place. But the footage shared by Ukraine - seemingly captured by a surveillance drone - showed high-rise buildings engulfed in flames.
Other videos posted to social media showed fires raging on the ground and white clouds of phosphorus illuminating the night sky.
A BBC analysis of the video posted by the defence ministry located the footage to an area just west of Bakhmut city centre and close to a children's hospital. While the analysis confirmed the attack used some kind of incendiary munitions, it could not verify the use of phosphorus.