The Pentagon handed over to Ukraine "killer missiles" of Russian anti-aircraft systems S-400

This is the first time that the Pentagon officially recognized the supply of weapons to Kiev, the shipment of which was not previously advertised, reports CNN.

US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said at a press briefing that his country had sent "a number" of missiles, without specifying how many or when they were sent. Kahl also did not explicitly say what type of anti-radiation missile was sent to Ukraine, but he then told CNN that it was an AGM-88 (HARM) high-velocity anti-radiation missile.

The Raytheon-made HARMs have a range of more than 30 miles (more than 48 kilometers), according to the US Air Force, making them one of the longest-range weapons the US has provided to Ukraine. The missiles can be used to destroy Russian anti-aircraft radar systems, such as the S-400, which make it very difficult for the Ukrainian Air Force to operate in Ukrainian airspace. These missiles can also hit Russian counter-battery radars, which Russia uses to aim artillery at Ukrainian artillery.

“In the short term, we are doing a lot of things so that the existing Ukrainian air force remains in the air and is more combat-ready”, - Kahl said.

Ukraine has not yet publicly acknowledged the receipt or use of these missiles. Although they were shown in many publics.