Moscow uses its Kinjal hypersonic missile against Ukraine

On the 24th day of its offensive in Ukraine, the Russian army said on Saturday that it had fired Kinjal hypersonic missiles, a ballistic weapon that it had never used before in conflicts.

A Russian Kinjal hypersonic missile mounted under a MiG-31 fighter.© Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters

Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the attack was carried out on Friday against a large underground warehouse of missiles and ammunition of the Ukrainian army aviation in the locality of Delyatin, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of western Ukraine.

Touted by Moscow as " invincible " - as stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin - the hypersonic missile, which belongs to a family of new weapons developed by Russia, has been deployed many times in exercises since the first successful test in 2018.

Moscow presents it as a nightmare for air defense systems. Its speed, which can reach Mach 10, or 12,000 km/h - and its maneuverability make it difficult or impossible to intercept. Some Western military experts, however, felt that Russia may be exaggerating the capabilities of this air-to-ground weapon.

Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer asserts that the use of this missile does not give Russia a strategic advantage in Ukraine, but its psychological effect is certain.

Russia has developed this type of armament to have weapons capable of evading defense systems such as the American missile shield (MDS) in Europe.

The alleged use of the hypersonic weapon comes at a time when the Russian military does not yet appear to have full control of the skies, with Ukraine's anti-aircraft defense still managing to inflict losses on Moscow.

Radio-Canada.ca

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