TASS, August 21. The Russian Armed Forces used the Kinzhal hypersonic missile three times during the special operation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu announced.

"It was used by us [the Russian military] three times during the special military operation. And three times it showed its brilliant characteristics," Shoigu said in an interview with the Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

According to the defense minister, no such missile in the world has such characteristics as the Kinzhal. "Actually, no one else has such a missile yet: hypersonic, and with such speed, and with such penetrating capabilities. It is impossible neither to detect it nor to intercept," he added.

The Minister reminded that the Kinzhal is able to reach speed up to more than 10 Mach, changing the trajectory both in vertical and horizontal planes on the way. "In general, it is virtually impossible to detect it, and we strike particularly important targets with it," the top brass stressed.

On Kinzhal missiles

The Kinzhal is Russia's newest complex with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles carried by specially equipped MiG-31K interceptors. The Kinzhal missile has low radar signature and high maneuverability and is designed to destroy land and sea targets.

Brief characteristics of the Kinzhal missile system were listed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech before the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2018: the speed is 10 times the speed of sound; the range is more than 2,000 kilometers; the missile maneuvers in all sections of the trajectory, which allows it to overcome all air and missile defense systems; it is equipped with conventional and nuclear warheads. The weight of the warhead is 500 kg.

The Kinzhal has been on pilot combat duty in the Russian army since December 2017. Officially, the first combat use of these missiles took place on March 18, 2022, during the military special operation in Ukraine.