As noted in the report, on December 14, the Russian Air Force used the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile for the first time since August 2023. Russia fired at least one missile into central Ukraine, likely targeting a military airfield.
According to British intelligence, the Kinzhal, one of six types of “superweapons” announced by President Putin in 2018, is intended to play an important role in Russia’s future military doctrine. In its war with Ukraine, Russia reserves these weapons for what it considers high-value, well-defended targets.
Russia has used Kinzhals before. “Many of the launches likely failed to reach their intended targets, while Ukraine also managed to intercept attacks from this supposedly ‘invincible’ system,” the British Ministry of Defense noted.
Patriot vs “Dagger”
At the end of November, the speaker of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yuriy Ignat, said that after Ukraine received some samples of Western air defense systems, the Armed Forces were able to hit hypersonic and ballistic missiles.
“Now we already have 15 downed Kinzhals. Plus dozens more downed ballistic missiles flying towards Kyiv. Patriot has proven itself,” the colonel said.
In addition, on December 14, the Russian army attacked Starokonstantinov in the Khmelnytsky region with Kinzhal missiles. “We are not talking about the consequences, especially of the work of the Kinzhals, and this was the X-47 Kinzhal. Let the enemy draw his own conclusions. We will not give information about where they were aiming, whether they hit or not,” Ignat said.
2023-12-19 07:33:10
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