Kinzhal
Russian air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile; fired against Ukraine alongside 324 Shahed drones post-truce.
Last refreshed: 16 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
If Ukraine can intercept Kinzhal missiles, why is Zelenskyy calling the air defence situation desperate?
Timeline for Kinzhal
Mentioned in: Russia fires 324 drones at Ukraine post-truce
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Germany signs €4bn for Ukraine, routes Raytheon directly
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: Zelenskyy: Patriot situation 'could not be any worse'
Russia-Ukraine War 2026- Can Ukraine intercept Kinzhal hypersonic missiles?
- Yes. Ukraine achieved the first confirmed Kinzhal intercept with a Patriot PAC-3 MSE round in May 2023. Further intercepts have followed, but each consumes expensive PAC-3 Rounds that are in short supply.
- Why did Russia use Kinzhal in the post-Easter truce attack?
- Russia fired Kinzhals alongside 324 Shahed drones in the hours after the Easter Ceasefire expired. The combination forces Ukraine to allocate scarce PAC-3 MSE interceptors to Kinzhals while cheaper drones consume GEM-T stocks.Source: Lowdown
- Is the Kinzhal actually hypersonic and does that matter?
- The Kinzhal is technically an air-launched Ballistic missile reaching hypersonic speeds in terminal phase, not a sustained-cruise hypersonic like a scramjet. Ukraine's Patriot has intercepted it. Russia's hypersonic branding overstated its invulnerability.
Background
The Kinzhal ("Dagger") is a Russian air-launched hypersonic Ballistic missile carried by modified MiG-31K and Tu-22M3 aircraft. With a range of up to 2,000 km and a speed exceeding Mach 10, it was marketed by the Kremlin as unstoppable. In April 2026, Russia fired Kinzhal missiles as part of the 324-drone post-truce barrage launched within hours of the Easter Ceasefire expiry, demonstrating that Moscow treats the Kinzhal as a routine strike weapon rather than a reserve asset.
Ukraine's Patriot system achieved the first confirmed Kinzhal intercept in May 2023, puncturing the Kremlin's invincibility narrative. Since then, Ukraine has intercepted multiple Kinzhals with both PAC-3 MSE Rounds and, according to some Ukrainian military sources, with IRIS-T SLM. Each intercept costs Ukraine expensive PAC-3 Rounds; the Kinzhal is part of Russia's strategy to exhaust Ukrainian air defence stocks faster than they can be replenished.
The Kinzhal carries either conventional or nuclear warheads. Western intelligence assessments consider the nuclear variant operational, though all documented uses in Ukraine have been conventional. Russia has used it against Ukrainian infrastructure, ammunition depots, and underground facilities where blast penetration is needed.
