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27
January
2023

Targets of Russian Kinzhal missiles on Jan 26 were facility in Zaporizhia, energy infrastructure facility in Kyiv

KYIV. Jan 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Among the 55 missiles in the missile attack launched by the Russian army on January 26, there were two Kinzhal missiles, which are virtually impossible to shoot down with the air defense systems currently available to Ukraine, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has said.

"There are few of them (Kinzhal missiles), so the Russians cherish them to hit the most important targets for them. And this time, unfortunately, the most important strategic targets for them were one of the objects in Zaporizhia and one of the objects of the energy infrastructure of Kyiv," he said during the national telethon.

Ihnat explained that this missile is launched by a MiG-31 fighter from the upper atmosphere, and it flies along a ballistic trajectory at a speed of roughly 5,000 km/h. According to him, the Kh-22 missiles, which are launched from the Tu-22-M3, pose a similar problem for the Ukrainian air defense forces.

The spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Ukraine will have the ability to hit such air targets at a distance of up to 40 km (and cruise missiles, aircraft and helicopters up to 160 km) after the delivery of Patriot and SAMP-T systems.

Ihnat said that the NASAMS and IRIS-T systems already in service can effectively destroy cruise missiles in automatic mode, but they are not designed to shoot down ballistic missiles.

As reported with reference to the prosecutor’s office, on January 26 at 3:40 am, the Russian military using the S-300 air defense system launched missile attacks on a critical infrastructure facility in Zaporizhia region. Three people were killed, seven more were injured. Technical equipment and structures were destroyed. The explosion caused a fire on the territory of the enterprise, which was extinguished. However, at about 10:00, during the investigation, search and rescue operation, this infrastructure facility was shelled again.