Russia Uses Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile Three Times In Ukraine War, Defense Minister: Impossible To Detect Or Intercept It

Rudal hypersonic Kinzhal pada jet tempur MiG-31. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/The Presidential Press and Information Office)

JAKARTA - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu acknowledged that his country's armed forces used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in the war in Ukraine, praising the performance of these weapons.

"It was used by us (Russian military) three times during special military operations. And three times it showed its brilliant characteristics," Minister Shoigu said in an interview with Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday, as reported by TASS August 22.

Minister Shoigu further explained that there is no missile in the world that has characteristics like the Kinzhal.

"Actually, no one else has had such a missile, hypersonic, with such speed and penetration capability. It is impossible to detect or intercept it," he added.

Minister Shoigu warned, Kinzhal is capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 10, changing trajectories in both the vertical and horizontal planes while gliding.

"In general, it is almost impossible to detect it, and we strike very important targets with it," he stressed.

The Kinzhal is a hypersonic aeroballistic missile carried by a specially equipped MiG-31K fighter jet. The Kinzhal missile has a low radar signature with high maneuverability, designed to destroy both land and sea targets.

In his speech before the Federal Assembly on March 1 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed some of the characteristics of this missile.

Its speed is 10 times the speed of sound. Its range is more than 2,000 kilometers, the missile maneuvers in all parts of the trajectory, which allows it to overcome all air and missile defense systems. Equipped with conventional and nuclear warheads. The weight of the warhead is 500 kg.

It is known, Kinzhal joined the Russian military service since December 2017. Officially, the first combat use of this missile took place on March 18, 2022, during special military operations in Ukraine.