Experts says Kinzhal aeroballistic missile may have been downed over Kyiv by air defenses
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The missile in question is the hypersonic X-47 Kinzhal, the journalists said in a report dated May 5.
One of the images shows the damaged nose cone, which “bears a maximum resemblance to the one used specifically in the X-47 Kinzhal missile,” wrote Defense Express.
The fragments without the warhead fell on a stadium in capital city.
Read also: Over 23,000 people thought to be missing since Russia’s full-scale invasion
Ukraine had not previously had the capability or an opportunity to intercept this type of missile.
As reported by the journalists, X-22 missiles have a different nose cone with oval transitions; the nose cone in the photo also differs from the Iskander missiles, where it is thicker.
Read also: Ukraine receives first Patriot air defense system from Germany – what to know
“The debris shows that it received penetrating damage, which allows us to evaluate the thickness of the material necessary to withstand high temperatures during acceleration to hypersonic speed,” Defense Express wrote.
“It also indicates that the interception was quite effective, with the destruction of the warhead still in the air. This is associated with the powerful explosion that Kyiv residents heard on the night of May 4.”
The Ukrainian Air Force said that it would not comment on the report.
However, the Air Force did not confirm information about the use of Russian ballistic missiles, stating that it would take several days to confirm this definitively.
On March 9, Russia launched 81 missiles at Ukraine, including six X-47 Kinzhal missiles, which are missiles that fly on a ballistic trajectory and strike their targets at enormous speeds.
Kyiv in April received Patriot air defense systems from the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany, which can successfully combat such targets.
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
