For the First Time In War, Russia Uses Hypersonic Zircon Missile Against Ukraine: Report

Kyiv – Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a Ukrainian-based research institute said that Russia's military struck Ukraine with a hypersonic "Zircon" missile for the first time since the commencement of the conflict. A preliminary analysis conducted by the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute for Forensic Examinations (KNDISE) found that the markings of fragments left over from a Russian air raid on Kyiv matched with the 3M22 Zircon missile, News Week reported. The director of the institute, Oleksandr Ruvin posted the early findings on his Telegram channel on Monday. He noted that the missile in question was "aimed at an area where there are no military facilities, civilian infrastructure and civilians were affected."

"KNDISE experts are conducting a study of Russian missiles with which the enemy attacked Ukraine on February 7, 2024. According to preliminary information, we really have the fact of using the 3M22 "Zirkon" missile. This is evidenced by markings on parts and fragments, identification of components and parts, and features of the corresponding type of weapon. The missile was aimed at an area where there are no military facilities, or civilian infrastructure and civilians were affected," Ruvin wrote in the Telegram post. According to the statement, the Zircon missile is an anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile with a range between 500 kilometres (310 miles) and 750 kilometres (466 miles). The weapon was originally designed to be launched from the sea but the ground-launched version was later developed, Newsweek reported. 

Moscow completed the missile testing in June 2022

As per the reports, Moscow announced in June 2022 that it had completed its testing of the Zircon missile. At that time the authorities noted that the cruise missile would be deployed to its Northern Fleet by the end of 2022. However, in the latest update, Ruvin said in his post that the markings on the missile fragments that were analyzed indicated that the weapon was built recently. "On several fragments, the inscription 3Л22 was made by laser engraving and embossing, which indicates a specific node from a specific product. In addition, the bolts on the steering mechanisms have markings in the form of the number 26, which is a feature of "Zirkon". Other markings on the wreckage of the rocket indicate the date of production of its constituent components - kin. 2023-2024 years. This means that the rocket was recently assembled," Ruvin averred. If KNDISE's analysis is confirmed, the use of Zircon missiles could pose another threat to Ukraine's air defense systems and can even challenge Western capabilities. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Zircon missile as “unmatched.”