When Kyiv was attacked by Russian missiles on Monday, there were only about ten seconds between the start of the air raid siren and the first explosions. The explosions turned out to be the sound of Ukrainian Patriot anti-aircraft systems shooting down two Russian hypersonic missiles.
When the air raid siren starts sounding, citizens in the capital usually have fifteen to twenty minutes to take cover. But now Russia had fired two new hypersonic weapons, so-called Zircon missiles. They flew so fast that the air raid siren could not warn citizens in time.
Debris from the Zircon missiles fell on the city. Ten people were injured as a result.
“If you only manage to destroy part of the missile, the missile can still end up on the ground with an intact bomb. For example in a residential area,” says defense expert Peter Wijninga of the Hague Center for Strategic Studies. “The bomb can still cause a lot of damage and casualties there. That’s the scary thing about those missiles.”
Hypersonic
Russia is said to have now attacked Ukraine twice with the new missiles. The target was the capital Kyiv both times. According to Russia, the Zircon would fly to its target with a top speed of almost 10,000 kilometers per hour. Due to its high speed, the rocket is called hypersonic. “The Russians use two types of hypersonic missiles,” says Peter Wijninga. “These are the Kinzjal, and now also the Zircon.”
“The Kinzjal reaches hypersonic speed in the final phase of its flight,” Wijninga explains. “It’s a bit different with the Zircon, because it flies hypersonic for most of its flight. And that means that the warning time is very short.”
It ensures that citizens only know that a rocket is approaching just before the rocket hits. They barely have time to find shelter when the rocket lands, or to shelter from any debris that may fall. Because the missile can hit anywhere at any time, it is not only a military weapon but also a psychological weapon.
“The Zircon was really developed from the drawing board,” says Peter Wijninga. Russian President Putin said in 2022 that the missile is part of a “new generation” of Russian weapons. Because they are so advanced, the rockets are very expensive to produce. That is probably why Russia does not yet have many at its disposal.
Ukrainian army spokesperson Natalia Humenyuk warned yesterday that Russia has dozens of such missiles ready to fire more in the near future. “Russia can therefore regularly cause targeted terror, with the capital being an important target.” To ensure that citizens have enough time to take shelter, Ukraine wants to sound air raid sirens in large parts of the country before the Zircon is fired.
There are also doubts about the effectiveness of Zircon missiles. For example, Andrii Kulchitsky, head of a military research center in Kyiv, says the Zircon “does not do the job it was designed to do, which is to bypass Ukrainian air defenses.” With the most expensive and advanced missiles of the Patriot air defense systems, Ukraine has been able to largely eliminate the missiles so far.
High state of readiness
The new missile creates an extra feeling of insecurity in Ukraine, and also puts extra pressure on the Ukrainian air defenses. “It means that the systems that are suitable for shooting down such a projectile, such as the Patriot, actually have to be on high alert 24/7,” says Wijninga, who has also worked with Patriot systems as an air force officer.
Russia is firing the new missiles at a time when Ukrainian air defenses appear to be running out. Ukraine says it needs far more Patriot systems and ammunition than what the United States and Europe have supplied so far. The deployment of Zircon missiles will only increase the need for Ukraine.
Tags: Fear Ukraine hypersonic Russian missile
