Russia launched another attack on Ukraine Kh-22/Kh-32-Cruise missiles and hypersonic anti-ship missiles 3M22 Zircon through.
The information was published on January 24 on the official Telegram channel of the Ukrainian Air Force.
According to the statement, Russian forces fired 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 launched from temporarily occupied Crimea. It was not disclosed which platform was used to launch the Zircon missiles, whose use in combat remains rare.
Ukrainian air defense intercepted nine of the twelve Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles. However, the Zircon missiles could not be intercepted, according to the Air Force.
The Kh-22 and Kh-32 missiles are cruise missiles originally developed between the 1960s and 1980s for both anti-ship and ground targets. Despite their high explosive power, these weapons are considered inaccurate and are available in limited quantities, according to publicly available sources.
The 3M22 Zircon missile, on the other hand, represents a different generation of weapons. Although the program is secret, the use of this missile against Ukraine allowed experts to analyze recovered components. These analyzes show that Zircon is a development of the Soviet 3M55 Onyx supersonic anti-ship missile from the late 1970s.
According to technical assessments, the Zircon’s significant increase in speed compared to the Onyx was likely achieved by significant weight reduction, including the warhead, the use of more powerful propellants, and a new ramjet engine optimized for hypersonic speeds.
The Ukrainian Air Force recalled that on March 25, 2024, two Zircon missiles were intercepted during a morning attack on Kiev. Surveillance channels reported that the targets traveled about 580 kilometers to the capital in about three minutes, which corresponds to an estimated speed of around 11,600 km / h, i.e. above Mach 9. These parameters are consistent with the stated characteristics of the Zircon and exclude the use of other systems such as Iskander or Kinzhal.
In a related context published this Russian Defense Ministry released a video on January 22ndapparently a strategic bomber Tu-22M3 shows, the one Kh-22/Kh-32rocket transported over the Baltic Sea. The planes were escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets and, Moscow said, accompanied on certain sections by jets from other countries. The Russian government stated that all flights were operated in strict accordance with international air traffic rules.
Sources and images: Telegram @zvezdanews | Ukrainian Air Force – Telegram @kpszsu. This content was created using 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
