Russia has a cruise missileKh-22/Kh-32and supersonic anti-ship missiles3M22 Zirconcarried out new attacks against Ukraine.
This information was announced on January 24 on the official Telegram channel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the statement, the Russian military launched a total of 12 Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles from airspace over the Bryansk region. In addition, two 3M22 Zircon missiles were launched from occupied Crimea. The Zircon missile’s launch platform has not been disclosed, and combat use remains rare.
Ukraine’s air defense successfully intercepted 9 out of 12 Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles. Zircon missiles, on the other hand, were not intercepted.
The Kh-22 and Kh-32 are cruise missiles developed between the 1960s and 1980s that can be used for both anti-ship missions and attacks on ground targets. Despite their high explosive power, these weapons have low accuracy and are limited in quantity, public information reports.
The 3M22 Zircon, on the other hand, is a different generation of weapons. Although the program is classified, its use against Ukraine has allowed for the analysis of parts recovered. As a result, it has been determined that Zircon is an improved version of the Soviet Union’s supersonic anti-ship missile 3M55 Onyx, developed in the late 1970s.
Technical evaluation suggests that Zircon’s speed increase over Onyx may have been achieved through significant weight reductions, including the warhead, the use of high-performance fuel, and the installation of a new ramjet engine optimized for supersonic operations.
The Ukrainian Air Force reports that two Zircon missiles were intercepted in an early morning attack on Kiev on March 25, 2024. According to surveillance channels, the target flew 580 kilometers to the capital in about three minutes, reaching an estimated speed of about 11,600 km/h (more than Mach 9). These parameters match Zircon’s published specifications and exclude the use of other systems such as Iskandar and Kinjal.
In related circumstances, on January 22nd,Russian Ministry of Defense releases video of Tu-22M3 strategic bomber flying over the Baltic Sea carrying Kh-22/Kh-32 missilesI did. The aircraft was escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets, and Moscow said it was accompanied by fighter jets from other countries in some sections. The Russian government says all flights were conducted in full compliance with international aviation law.
Source and images: Telegram @zvezdanews | Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Corps – Telegram @kpszsu. This content is generated with the help of AI and checked by our 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
♬ som original – Military analysis
