What are the supersonic Kinzhal missiles launched by Russia against Ukraine and how do they work? – Clear network –

Russia’s defense ministry says it used supersonic Kinzhal missiles this weekend to attack targets in Ukraine. The first use of this type of weapon in the conflict, the launch of which has been confirmed by the United States, is another step towards escalation of the war due to the ability of these missiles to hit targets at a distance. Up to 2000 kilometers and nuclear freight transport.

These are the weapons that Russia first used:

What is a Kinzhal Missile?

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Dagger in Russian) is an air-launched supersonic ballistic missile, made in Russia, capable of carrying a warhead and maneuvering at all stages of its trajectory. It can hit targets at ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers and reach speeds of up to 10 traps, or 10 times the speed of sound (speeds of 5 traps are already considered hyperbolic). According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, these missiles are eight meters long, one meter in diameter, weigh 4,300 kilograms and can carry up to 480 kilograms of conventional or nuclear payload. A report from the TASS news agency in July 2018 claims that if Tupolev launches a Tu-22M bomber, it could reach more than 3,000 kilometers.

Is it possible to intercept them with anti-missile systems?

After launch, the Kinzhal rocket accelerates rapidly to speeds of 4 Mach (4,900 kilometers per hour) and can reach 12,350 kilometers per hour, which equates to 10 Mach. Interference is difficult.

When did Russia develop them?

The Kinzhal was one of six “new generations” of weapons introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his March 1, 2018 speech. He said the weapon was Moscow’s response to a US decision to end the ABM agreement. to reject from 2002. 1972 on ballistic missiles. , a bilateral document between the USSR and the United States, which is considered the cornerstone of the system of mutual containment. The Russian president then noted that these missiles had already been installed in the Southern Military District, a district that includes the Black Sea. A few days later, on March 11, Russian media released images of a test of a modified Kinzhal missile of a modified MiG-31 fighter jet. Although the video did not show the final impact, the Russian Defense Ministry called the test a “success”.

Were they used in battle?

Russia’s defense ministry announced on Saturday that Moscow had used the Kinzhal supersonic missile for the first time to destroy a “major underground missile and air munitions depot” in the western Ukrainian city of Deliatin. On Sunday, the Kremlin said it had again used Kinzhal missiles to destroy military bases in the Itomir region of northwestern Ukraine and Belarus, where, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, “more than 100 members of Ukrainian special forces and foreign mercenaries. †

US officials, quoted by CNN, confirmed that Russia has used the missiles in combat for the first time. “Apparently they were going to test the weapons and send a message to the West,” they said.

What is the meaning of using a dagger in a war?

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday ruled out the use of Russian Kinzhal missiles as a “tipping point” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite Saturday’s missiles landing too close to NATO territory, some 300 miles from the Polish border. “I don’t see this as a turning point. I think Russia is using them to gain momentum. We have seen how they attacked towns, villages and civilians. “We think they will continue to do it, but I don’t think it will change the rules of the game,” Austin told CBS. What he considers a “very serious step” is the use of chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine. If Russia used them, Austin assured Moscow would receive “a strong response from the United States and the international community.”

Source: La Neta Neta

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