- On Saturday,
Russia said it had used itsKinzhal missile in combat for the first time. - While the Kinzhal is new to Russia it is not a new kind of weapon, as the Russians have claimed.
On Saturday, Russia's Ministry of Defense released footage claiming to show its new Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile hitting a Ukrainian missile warehouse 300 miles southwest of Kyiv.
The
The Russians' use of long-range missiles suggests a "desperate attempt by them to gain some momentum" because their forces are "stuck where they are," a senior US defense official told reporters on Monday.
In its announcement on Saturday, Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed the Kinzhal is a "
While the Kinzhal can travel at hypersonic speeds, a "$4" would also have to be capable of traveling at speeds in excess of Mach 5 — or about 3,836 mph — during terminal maneuvers, which this weapon is not capable of doing.
—Tom Karako (@tomkarako) $4
The Kinzhal more closely resembles an Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile that has been adapted for air-launch.
The senior US defense official also said Russia's use of the Kinzhal is "a head-scratcher" because "there's not a whole lot of if practicality to it."
Russia has conventional ground-launched ballistic missiles that it could have used in this attack, and use of the Kinzhal could mean the Russians are running low on "precision-guided munitions," the official said.
—Michael Kofman (@KofmanMichael) $4
The British Ministry of the Defense echoed that assessment on Monday, $4 that the use of the Kinzhal is "highly unlikely to materially affect" the outcome of Russia's offensive.
Moscow's claims about using the weapon are "highly likely intended to detract from a lack of progress in Russia's ground campaign," the ministry said.