It is said to have been used several times and is considered a feared weapon. We are talking about the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, which the Kremlin has repeatedly described as “invincible”. Now the Ukrainian Air Force has apparently succeeded in intercepting such a missile.
“I congratulate the people of Ukraine on a historic event,” Ukrainian Air Force chief Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his Telegram channel on Saturday. The “Kinschal” was intercepted over the Kiev region on Thursday night using the US Patriot defense system, it said. The eight-meter Kinzhal missile, whose name translates to “dagger” in German, is particularly feared because it can fly extremely high and extremely fast. It is therefore considered particularly difficult to intercept. If the Ukrainian air defense actually succeeded in bringing down such a thing, it would not only be a military success, but also an important symbolic one.
There has been speculation about murders for some time
Earlier in Ukraine, which had been defending itself against a Russian offensive war for more than 14 months, there had been speculation about an alleged “Kinzhal” launch. For example, military bloggers published photos that are supposed to show the debris of the missile. The information could not be independently verified.
Moscow did not comment on the success of the Ukrainians. However, the Russian military also claims to have intercepted an enemy missile. “The anti-aircraft system shot down a ballistic missile over the Republic of Crimea,” Moscow-appointed Crimea governor Sergey Aksyonov told Telegram on Saturday. The missile was launched using Ukraine’s Hrim-2 system and there was no damage or casualties, he added. According to the state-run Russian news agency Tass, this is the second time that Russian authorities have reported Ukrainian Hrim ballistic missiles over Crimea. There was another such incident last month.
Frequent explosions in Crimea
Since the summer of 2022, there have been regular explosions of drone attacks on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. In late April, a drone strike caused a massive fire at a fuel depot in the port city of Sevastopol, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is stationed.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
