Putin unleashes his ‘unstoppable’ 7,000mph missiles on weapons depot
RUSSIA claimed yesterday it had unleashed an ‘unstoppable’ hypersonic missile – marking a major escalation of its bombardment of Ukraine.
A Kinzhal – or ‘Dagger’ – destroyed an underground arms depot in Western Ukraine, according to Russia’s defence ministry.
The missile can fly at up to 7,673mph and is believed to be impossible for Western defence systems to shoot down. The strike, which took place on Friday, is the first time Russia has ever admitted using a hypersonic missile.
‘There is no doubt this is significant from a military perspective,’ a former senior RAF officer said last night. ‘Using that type of weapon in this war seems like a crazy escalation.’
Russia posted a video of what it said was the
‘Using that type of weapon seems like a crazy escalation’
strike on the arms dump in Deliatyn, a village only 62 miles from the border with Romania.
Large buildings are shown in the footage in a snowy region, before one is obliterated by a huge explosion, sending flames, earth and debris high into the air. People can be seen fleeing as smoke pours from the site.
With a range of up to 1,200 miles, the weapon is likely to have been fired from Russian airspace by a MiG-31 warplane.
Hypersonic missiles are those that can fly at speeds of at least 3,800mph – five times the speed of sound.
In addition to its extreme speed, the missile flies low and is highly manoeuvrable, allowing it to avoid even the most sophisti-expensive cated defence systems. It can also carry a nuclear warhead.
Russian president Vladimir Putin unveiled the Kinzhal four years ago, describing it as one of a series of ‘invincible’ weapons that he said would evade enemy defences.
Justin Bronk, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think-tank, said that after weeks of military setbacks, Putin may have been showing Nato he still possessed sophisticated weapons that could threaten the West.
‘The Kinzhal is a very significant weapon system potentially in a confrontation with Nato where it can threaten things like aircraft carriers or air bases that are protected by the most advanced American defence systems,’ he said. ‘It is a signal to Nato, reminding them that this is an operational capability which can credibly threaten Nato’s forward bases.’ But he added that the high cost of the missiles meant they were unlikely to be used regularly. He said: ‘I think it will remain relatively limited because ultimately these are very weapons that Russia doesn’t have a huge number of.’
Dominika Kunertova, of the Center for Security Studies in Zurich, described the hypersonic attack as ‘a sign of showmanship’.
She added: ‘Even if it’s used we should consider it as an isolated moment because Russia doesn’t have a large number of these missiles.’ Russian forces have pounded Ukraine with more than 1,080 slower cruise and ballistic missiles since February 24, according to US defence officials.
But the tactic is failing to give the Kremlin a decisive breakthrough. The Ministry of Defence said yesterday that Putin was changing his strategy to one of ‘attrition’.
Russia, China and the US are locked in a hypersonic arms race. China is believed to have the edge after claims it has created missiles with heat-seeking technology. Experts say the US could take years to catch up, despite spending $14b on its own programme.