Russia has carried out a new attack on Ukraine using cruise missiles Kh-22/Kh-32 and hypersonic anti-ship missiles 3M22 Zircon.
The information was released on January 24 on the official channel of the Air Force of the Armed Forces ofUkraine su Telegram.
According to the statement, Russian forces launched a total of 12 Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles from the airspace of the Bryansk region, on Russian territory. In parallel, two 3M22 Zircon missiles were launched from the temporarily occupied Crimea. The platform used to launch the Zircon missiles, whose use in combat remains rare, was not disclosed.
Ukrainian air defense managed to intercept nine of the twelve Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles. The Zircon missiles, however, were not shot down, according to the Air Force.
The Kh-22 and Kh-32 are cruise missiles originally developed between the 1960s and 1980s, designed for both anti-ship missions and attacks on land targets. Despite their high explosive load, these carriers are considered imprecise and available in limited quantities, according to assessments from open sources.
The 3M22 Zircon missile, however, represents a distinct generation of weaponry. Although the program is shrouded in secrecy, the use of this missile against Ukraine has allowed experts to analyze recovered components. Analysis indicates that the Zircon is an evolution of the Soviet 3M55 Onyx supersonic anti-ship missile, created in the late 1970s.
According to technical evaluations, the significant increase in speed of the Zircon compared to the Onyx may have been achieved through a significant reduction in weight, including the warhead, the adoption of more powerful fuel and a new ramjet engine optimized for hypersonic regimes.
The Ukrainian Air Force recalled that, on March 25, 2024, during a morning attack on Kiev, the air defense managed to intercept two Zircon missiles. On that occasion, monitoring channels reported that the targets traveled approximately 580 kilometers to the capital in approximately three minutes, which would indicate estimated speeds of around 11,600 km/h, exceeding Mach 9. These parameters are compatible with the declared characteristics of the Zircon and exclude the use of other systems such as Iskander or Kinzhal.
In a related context, on January 22nd the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video which would show a strategic bomber Tu-22M3 carry a missile Kh-22/Kh-32 during a flight over the Baltic Sea. The planes were escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighters and, according to Moscow, on some routes also by fighters from other countries. The Russian government said that all flights were carried out in full compliance with international rules of use of airspace.
Sources and images: Telegram @zvezdanews | Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Telegram @kpszsu. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
@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
