Ukraine has air defense systems that are capable of shooting down the Russian 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, Air Force spokesperson Illia Yevlash said on March 27.
His statement came after claims that Russian troops had used Zircon missiles in a March 25 attack on Kyiv, injuring at least two people. The researchers continue to examine the debris to determine what type of missile was launched.
The speed of the Zircon missile is approximately 8-9 Mach or about 10,000 kilometers per hour. When it enters the strike trajectory, its speed drops to about Mach 4.5, according to Yevlash.
"At this moment, we can use our anti-ballistic systems. These are SAMP/T, Patriot, which can inflict powerful damage and shoot down even such weapons," the spokesperson said.
Yevlash did not rule out that Russia could test Ukraine's air defense system by using Zircon, or its use could indicate a shortage of other Russian missiles.
Russia reportedly attacked Ukraine with a 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 7, killing at least five and injuring over 50 people.
Moscow earlier said the Zircon hypersonic missile entered the arsenal of the Russian military in early 2023, claiming that it has a range of 600–1,500 kilometers, can travel at nine times the speed of sound, and has a warhead weighing about 300-400 kilograms.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
