Ukrainian media: first Russian hypersonic missile Kinzhal downed over Kyiv
For the first time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully intercepted the Russian "hypersonic" missile Kh-47 Kinzhal. This happened on the night of May over Kyiv, reports the news website Defense Express, publishing a photo of the wreckage, including the nose cone with traces of destruction.
As reported by the Kyiv City Military Administration, in addition to Shahed kamikaze drones, Russian also used missiles in the attack - "probably of a ballistic type."
The pictures show that the wreckage of a rocket without a warhead fell at the stadium.
One of the photos shows a nose cone which is very similar to the one of the X-47 Kinzhal.
The X-22 missile has a different nose cone with an oval shape. Also, the fairing of the downed missile differs from the Iskander ballistic missile.
As Military Express writes, the holes in the wreckage make it possible to estimate the thickness of the material required to withstand the high temperature during acceleration to hypersonic speeds. It also indicates that the interception of the missile was quite effective with the warhead exploding in the air.
This could be the reason for the powerful explosion that Kyiv residents heard at night.
"As for the message that a ballistic target was destroyed, the fact is that the Kinzhal is hypersonic only in the fantasies of the Ruscists. After all, although it accelerates to hypersonic speeds, it cannot maintain such a speed. At the final stages of its flight, it flies towards the target behind at a ballistic trajectory and has, although high, but far from hypersonic speed," Defense Express says.
The newspaper suggests that the Patriot system was used to destroy the enemy missile.
According to Defense Express, "in the case of official confirmation of the information that it was the Kinzhal missile that was shot down, May 4 will be the day when the next myth of the Ruscists will be destroyed."
The news outlet notes that “huge funds were allocated by the Kremlin for the development of such "hypersonic" weapons as Kinzhal and Zircon and Russia claimed that these missiles could not be intercepted. However, they are intercepted by the Patriot PAC-3 developed in the 90s”.
"Today, there will be no comments and additional statements by the speakers of the Air Force!" the Command of the Ukrainian Air Forces said in response to these reports.
Later, the spokesman for the Air Force Command, Yuriy Ihnat, denied information about the likely downing of a Kinzhal ballistic missile over Kyiv on May 4.
"There was a possibility of use, but ballistic missiles were not observed," he said.
Earlier, it was reported that during a night attack on Kyiv on May 4, all kamikaze drones and Russian missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian Air Defense