Ukrainian air defense shoots down Russian Zircon hypersonic missile
During a morning Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian air defense successfully intercepted two Zircon hypersonic missiles. The information about the interception of the missiles was made public by the Ukrainian Air Force Command. "At about 10:30 am, the Russian troops attacked Kyiv with two ballistic missiles from the temporarily occupied Crimea.
The targets were destroyed, the type is being identified," the statement said. After being intercepted, the missile debris continued to fall freely on Kyiv and damaged a number of buildings in the Pechersk district and on the left bank of the capital. Seven people were injured as a result of the falling debris.
A building damaged by falling missile debris, Kyiv, March 25, 2024. Photo credits: Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office
The Telegram channel monitor reported that the missiles covered the distance of 580 kilometers to Kyiv within three minutes, which indicates a hypersonic flight speed.
It can be estimated at 11,600 km/h, or more than Mach 9. This speed precludes the use of other types of weapons, such as Iskander or Kinzhal missiles. At the same time, it coincides with the declared characteristics of the Zircon missile.
At different times, the developers voiced different flight ranges for the 3M22 missile, from 600 to 1500 kilometers, which it was supposed to overcome at a speed of Mach 8-9. The weight of its warhead is allegedly 300-400 kg. Since the start of development in 2011, there have been no reliable photographs of this missile in the public domain.
However, the wreckage obtained as a result of the crash allows a more detailed study of its structure. The photos show parts with factory markings "3M22", debris that appears to be part of the fuselage, a solid fuel engine and probably an undetonated warhead.
Debris of 3M22 Zircon missiles in Kyiv, March 25, 2024
Engravings with part numbers on those wreckage match those found during the Russian attack on Kyiv in February, when the Zircon missile system was also used. Using the fragments obtained at that time, the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise drew an approximate scheme of the 3M22 Zircon missile.
An approximate scheme of the 3M22 Zircon missile and its wreckage found in Kyiv. Photo credits: Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise
Russia has also officially recognized the use of these missiles in the war against Ukraine. Vladimir Putin publicly announced this on February 29.
"The Zircon hypersonic system, which was not even discussed in 2018, has already been used in the battle.
However, this system is already in service," Putin said.