Air Force: Ukraine downed 25 Russian Kinzhal missiles since all-out war outset

Since Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine started, they’ve launched 63 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, but Ukraine says its forces have intercepted 25 out of the 63 using Patriot air defense systems.

byYuri Zoria

08/01/2024

2 minute read

Russia’s MiG-31K aircraft carrying a Kinzhal missile. Illustrative image: Wikimedia Commons

Air Force: Ukraine downed 25 Russian Kinzhal missiles since all-out war outset

Since the Russian full-scale invasion commenced, the Ukrainian military has successfully intercepted 25 out of the 63 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles fired by Russian troops, according to Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force Command. He made the relevant statement on Ukrainian TV on 7 January, Ukrinform reported.

“63 Kinzhal missiles have been fired since the full-scale invasion started, and 25 of them have been destroyed. Last spring, we obtained the Patriot [surface-to-air missile] systems and the capacity to destroy air-launched ballistic missiles,” Ihnat said.

He neither confirmed nor denied whether Russia’s Kinzhal missile was involved in the downing over the Dnipro River in Kyiv during the Russian missile attack on 2 January. Ihnat mentioned that it is impossible to ascertain the missile’s type from the video circulating on social media.

One of Russia's feared Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles falls into water in Kyiv after being hit, probably by a Patriot air defense missile. Russia fired 11 Kinzhals at Kyiv on Jan. 2 – the highest number yet, probably using its entire fleet of MiG-31K warplanes in the attack. pic.twitter.com/6strValuZi

— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) January 2, 2024

On 2 January, Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukrainian territory, employing 99 missiles of various types, of which Ukraine reportedly downed 72. Among these, the Russian forces launched 10 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, all of which were successfully intercepted by Ukraine’s air defense units.

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