Ukrainian sappers neutralize Russian Kinzhal missile threat
Pyrotechnicians from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine successfully removed the warhead of a Russian Kinzhal missile, which was found in the Lviv region in western Ukraine. Russia's portrayal of the Kinzhals as "superweapons" is not entirely accurate. While they remain very dangerous, they often fail to hit designated targets.
"The pyrotechnicians of the State Emergency Service neutralized the warhead of the Russian Kinzhal missile. It was discovered nearly two months after the aggressor's massive shelling of Ukraine. The rescue services professionally and swiftly neutralized the warhead to protect the region's residents from potential explosions," stated the official announcement.
The Ukrainians found the warhead of a Russian Kinzhal missile
The target of the Kinzhal missile, the remnants of which were found by Ukrainian sappers, was the capital of the Lviv region. Although it is relatively close to the Polish border and, therefore, to NATO, it comes under Russian fire from time to time.
Kinzhals are hypersonic missiles traveling at speeds over 6,100 km/h. The Russians claim they accelerate to even 12,200 km/h, but it is most likely no more than 9,800 km/h in practice. For this reason, they are difficult to combat, although as the war in Ukraine has shown, Kinzhals are not indestructible, and American Patriots manage them relatively well.
Ukraine's problem, even after the war ends
To carry these missiles, which weigh over 4,500 kg, the Russians most often use MiG-31K fighters, but sometimes Tu-22M bombers. From the Ukrainians' point of view, a significant issue is the Kinzhal's range, which reaches up to 2,000 km.
This is not the first such "find" in Ukraine. Remnants of various types of Russian weapons are systematically being discovered, and this will not change even after the potential end of the war. Besides missiles, the Russians also mark their presence on the current land with various mines. In 2023, the British Ministry of Defence published a report indicating that "Ukraine is the most mined country in the world."
