Russia claims to have used hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine

The Russian army claimed on Saturday that it used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, a resource that it apparently had not yet used in this conflict and which, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is part of an “invincible” armament.

“On March 18, the Kinjal aeronautical complex, with its hypersonic ballistic missiles, destroyed a major underground depot of missiles and ammunition of Ukrainian aviation in the town of Deliatin, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region,” announced the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov.

This region is located about 50 km from the border with Romania, a NATO member country.

Russia had not so far reported the use of this ballistic missile in the two conflicts in which it is involved, in Syria and in Ukraine. Yes, he had deployed it in maneuvers since he successfully tested it in 2018.

“It is likely that the Kinjal would be wanted to be used in combat conditions, and it is a world first,” Vassili Kashin, a military analyst and director of a research center at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, told AFP.

This type of missile challenges all anti-air defense systems, according to Moscow, because its speed (about 12,000 km per hour) and its great maneuverability make it impossible or very difficult to intercept, although some Western military experts believe that Russia might have exaggerated the capabilities of this air-to-ground weapon.

- Destroy and be scary -

The Kinjal hypersonic ballistic missiles and the Zircon cruise missiles belong to a family of new weapons developed by Russia that President Vladimir Putin calls “invincible”.

The army's most prized weapon is the Avangard hypersonic glider. It flies up to 33,000 km/h, can carry a nuclear charge and changes direction or height unpredictably, making it virtually impossible to intercept.

The Kinjal, Russian word meaning “dagger”, achieved all their targets during the 2018 trials at a distance of more than 1,000 km, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Friday's target, an underground reservoir, seems to be a suitable target for the Kinjal, according to Kashin.

“These infrastructures are difficult to destroy with classic missiles. The hypersonic missile has a greater penetration capacity and destructive power due to its high speed,” he said.

For Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer, resorting to the Kinjal does not give Russia a strategic advantage in Ukraine, but the psychological effect is clear, as Moscow is deploying one of its most destructive weapons.

“In the background nothing changes on the battlefield, but it is clear that it has an effect on psychological propaganda, to make everyone scary,” he said.

Moscow developed this type of weaponry to be able to bypass defense systems, such as the US missile shield in Europe.

Its use in Ukraine comes at a time when the Russian army, despite its announcements, does not seem to be in control of the sky, as the Ukrainian defense continues to cause losses.

Russia was the first country in the world to develop hypersonic weaponry. Other countries have also accelerated their weapons programs in an attempt to equalize themselves with Russia.

North Korea, for example, says it also develops and has tried them. And also China, which surprised Westerners with a test with a supersonic glider capable of traveling at about 6,000 km/h.

“We are the first to deploy this weaponry. The Chinese have also recently done it, but the United States does not have this weapon for now,” Kashin said.

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