According to Russia, the 3M22 Zircon missile can travel at up to ten times the speed of sound, and has a range of more than 900 kilometers. The rocket was first tested in October 2020.
According to military analysts, Russia’s use of hypersonic missiles means that the reaction time of the Ukrainian air force is greatly reduced. At the same time, it gives Russia the opportunity to attack targets with high precision and greater impact.
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According to Reuters a preliminary analysis of the destruction and remains of the missile shows that it most likely originates from a Zircon rocket. In that case, it is the first time that the Ukrainian authorities can document that Russian forces are using this technology in the nearly two-year-long war.
– Characteristic of the 3M22 Zircon missile
– In this case, we see elements that are characteristic of the 3M22 Zircon missile. Parts and fragments of the engine and steering mechanisms have specific markings, writes the director of the Kyiv Scientific-Research Institute for Forensic Examinations, Oleksandr Ruvin.
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Several fragments of the missile were engraved with the inscription “3L22”. The bolts on the steering mechanisms were marked with the number 26. Both of these details are characteristic of the functions of the Zircon. According to the research director, other markings on the missile remains indicate that the production of the components shows that the missile was built recently.
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Video: This will pave the way for Ukrainian forces
Russia is producing weapons in high gear
Russia has put the weapons industry into high gear and is now producing weapons and ammunition at a furious pace. The large consumption of long-range missiles against civilian and military targets has eaten away at the Russian stockpiles. But the production of new rockets is now replacing what was lost.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the matter, writes Kyiv Independent.
In October 2020, Zircon was tested in the Barents Sea. The rocket is said to have hit its target 1,000 kilometers away in the Kvitsjøen in northwest Russia, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow said.
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Putin: – Nuclear missiles on land, at sea and in the air
In January 2023, it became known that the Russian frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” simulated the attack capability of the Zircon missile in the Western Atlantic, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense stated.
In February 2023, Vladimir Putin said this about Russia’s rocket investment.
– We will continue mass production of air-based hypersonic Kinzjal systems and we will start mass deliveries of sea-based hypersonic Zircon missiles. We will pay increased attention to strengthening the nuclear triad, Putin said, referring to nuclear missiles on land, at sea and in the air.
NATO chief: – A strategic challenge for the alliance
In August 2022, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg wrote an article in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail where he specifically warned about Russia’s plans in the Arctic. He reminded that the shortest route to North America for Russian missiles or bombers is over the North Pole.
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– Last month, President Vladimir Putin launched a new maritime strategy to protect Arctic waters “with all available means”, including increased activity around the archipelago of Svalbard, and the hypersonic missile system Zircon on the Northern Fleet. Russia’s ability to disrupt allied reinforcements across the North Atlantic is a strategic challenge for the alliance, Stoltenberg wrote.
2024-02-13 08:48:43
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