The Russian TASS state news agency reported that the first Russian crew to use hypersonic, air-launched Kinzhal missiles during Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine has been presented with state awards.
“The Su-34 aircraft used the Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a special military operation,” TASS cited an unnamed military source as saying. “The first crew that completed this task was presented with state awards.”
It’s easy to grow numb from the barrage of Russian atrocities in Ukraine. However, the recent use of a new hypersonic missile is particularly alarming. Stealthy hypersonic weapons fly below sensors that detect ballistic missiles and travel ten times faster than traditional cruise missiles, allowing them to skirt the defenses of many European countries. Experts say the U.S. is as much as three years away from matching the capability of the type of weapon Russia has deployed in Ukraine, called the Kinzhal.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin acknowledged that it had accelerated its development of hypersonic missiles in response to a perceived threat from NATO. The Defense Ministry said it was developing a system enabling the Kinzhal to evade radars and travel more than 7,000 miles, enough to reach NATO headquarters in Brussels or other major European cities. The Defense Ministry also says it is enhancing its cruise missiles, including the nuclear-capable Burevestnik.
The latest escalation of the conflict has drawn international condemnation and prompted some Western leaders to call for sanctions on the Russian military and allied forces in Ukraine. But the Trump administration has made no such moves, despite the threat of a growing “missile gap” with Russia.
Ukraine has also been boosted by a pledge from Germany and Poland to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, though the numbers are below what the Ukrainians need. Still, it is another step in strengthening their ability to conduct counteroffensive operations against the Russians.
Earlier this week, a video surfaced on social media purportedly showing the Russian battleship Olenegorsky Gornyak listing severely in the port of Novorossiisk, the capital of Russia’s southwestern Crimea region. The footage was reportedly taken by the same drone that hit a medical clinic in Dnipropetrovsk last week, killing four people, including doctors. The video, which was shared with RFE/RL by several sources, could not be independently verified.
The Kremlin’s claim that it shot down a Ukrainian warplane with a “hypersonic” missile further indicates that Moscow will not stop its aggression against Ukraine. This conflict can be stopped only when the United States, Ukraine, and their allies unite in a unified stand against Russian aggression. Congressman Jim McGovern and others have written to President Biden, urging him to use funds already earmarked for Ukraine to provide more weapons and ammunition for the country’s military.
