Russia carried out a new attack on Ukraine with Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles and hypersonic anti-ship missiles 3M22 Zircon.
The information was shared on January 24 through the official Telegram channel of the Ukrainian Air Force.
According to the report, Russian forces launched a total of 12 Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles from the airspace over the Bryansk region of Russia. At the same time, two 3M22 Zircon missiles were fired from temporarily occupied Crimea. The platform used to launch the Zircon missiles was not stated, and their use in combat remains rare.
Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down 9 of the 12 Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles. However, the Zircon missiles could not be intercepted, according to the Air Force.
The Kh-22 and Kh-32 are cruise missiles originally developed between the 1960s and 1980s, intended for both anti-ship missions and attacks on ground targets. Despite their large explosive payload, these missiles are considered inaccurate and exist in limited numbers according to open sources.
The 3M22 Zircon missile represents a different generation of weapons. Although the program is secret, the use of this missile against Ukraine has allowed experts to analyze recovered parts. These analyzes indicate that the Zircon is a later development of the Soviet supersonic anti-ship missile 3M55 Onyx from the late 1970s.
According to technical assessments, the Zircon’s significant speed gain over the Onyx may have been achieved through a significant weight reduction, including the warhead, the use of more powerful fuel and a new ramjet engine optimized for hypersonic speeds.
The Ukrainian Air Force recalled that during a morning attack on Kiev on March 25, 2024, air defenses managed to intercept two Zircon missiles. Monitoring channels reported that the targets traveled about 580 kilometers to the capital in about three minutes, which means an estimated speed of about 11,600 km/h, more than Mach 9. These parameters correspond to the stated specifications of the Zircon and exclude the use of other systems such as Iskander or Kinzhal.
In a related context it published Russian Ministry of Defense released a video on January 22 which is said to be a strategic bomber Tu-22M3 shows with a Kh-22/Kh-32 rocket during a flight over the Baltic Sea. The planes were escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets and, according to Moscow, on certain routes by fighter jets from other countries. The Russian government stated that all flights were operated in strict accordance with international aviation regulations.
Sources and images: Telegram @zvezdanews | Ukrainian Air Force – Telegram @kpszsu. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editors.
@militaryanalyseOn January 22, the Ministry of Defense of Russia released a video showing a strategic Tu-22M3 bomber carrying a Kh-22/Kh-32 missile during a flight over the Baltic Sea. Sources and images: Telegram @zvezdanews
