Russia launched a large-scale air strike on Ukraine with over 80 missiles and self-destruct drones, including the hypersonic missile ‘Kinjal’.
This is not the first time Russia has used Kinzal since the invasion of Ukraine, but it is relatively rare. In particular, Kinjal is given the modifier ‘game changer’, but some point out that its power is exaggerated, so attention is focused on its identity.
◇ What kind of weapon is the ‘hypersonic’ missile Kinjal?
According to Reuters, the New York Times (NYT) and CNN on the 9th (local time), Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine that day, such as pouring over 80 missiles, including six Kinzhal. The airstrike caused power outages in many places, including the capital Kiu and southern Odessa, and killed six people.
Previously, Russia hit an arsenal in Ukraine with Kinzal in March of last year, and has used Kinzal several times to attack Ukraine.
Kinzal, which means ‘dagger’ in Russian, is a representative hypersonic missile of the Russian military along with the sea-based ‘Zircon’. A hypersonic missile is a missile that flies at a speed of Mach 5 (about 6120 km/h) or more, five times the speed of sound.
It is a weapon that is considered a next-generation ‘game changer’ that can neutralize missile defense systems as it can reach the target in just a few seconds at high speed and even perform evasive maneuvers at low altitudes.
In particular, Kinjal has a maximum speed of Mach 10 (about 122,400 km per hour), and it is known that it can be loaded with nuclear warheads and can be installed on fighters and bombers.
Kinzal is one of six “next-generation weapons” unveiled by President Vladimir Putin in a speech in March 2018. Among them, the next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) RS-28 ‘Sarmat’ was also included.
To date, only the United States, China and Russia have hypersonic weapons. President Putin claimed in 2021 that “Russia is the world leader in hypersonic missiles.” That same year, Russia sent its first Kinzal-equipped fighter jets to Syria.
◇Why did you use it so much?
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has identified that the Russian military has up to 50 Kinzhal. In the attack, Russia fired six Kinzal, the most used by Russian forces in a single attack since the invasion of Ukraine.
There are several observations about the launch of such a large number of Kinjal. “For whatever reason, they (Russia) would have needed the results this time,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Inat told the NYT.
It is pointed out that the Russian army has poured all its power into Bahmut in eastern Ukraine since July of last year, but there has been no breakthrough, and it has become urgent because it has not shown an overwhelming appearance, such as encircling the third side of Bahmut only recently after several months of offensive.
CNN explained that a similar point came out when Russia used Kinzal in March last year. At the time, the British Ministry of Defense said that the war in Ukraine had reached a stalemate and that “Russia may have used Kinzal to achieve a breakthrough.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also pointed out in an interview with CBS News that “(Putin) tried to restore momentum.”
However, there is also an analysis that Russia will be able to supplement Kinzal relatively easily. This is because Kinzal is an air-launched missile of Iskander, Russia’s representative ballistic missile, and does not need to be made from scratch like Zircon.
◇Is it really a ‘game changer’?
On the other hand, there are many evaluations that Kinjal’s power has been exaggerated. In March of last year, US President Joe Biden evaluated Kinzal as “almost impossible to stop,” but Minister Austin said that there is an exaggerated aspect and that he “does not see it as a game changer.”
The British Ministry of Defense also evaluated that Kinzal was not impossible to shoot down, saying that it was a modified model from Iskander, which Russia often used in Ukraine.
The US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) noted that Azerbaijani forces shot down an Armenian-launched Iskander missile in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It shows that it can be done,” he said.
However, some point out that the Ukrainian military does not have a missile defense system capable of shooting down Kinzhal. As a result, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, including the United States and the West, appeared to be sending several surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.