For first time in full-scale war, air defenses down nine Kh-22 missiles over Kyiv at once – Ihnat
During one of the recent Russian attacks on Kyiv, air defense forces simultaneously shot down nine Kh-22 supersonic cruise missiles. This happened for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion.
This was reported by Colonel Yurii Ihnat, head of the Communications Directorate of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.
Details
Ihnat noted that the Russians attacked the capital with 12 Kh-22 missiles, each equipped with a warhead weighing about one tonne. Ukraine’s air defenses then shot down nine of these missiles.
"This is an unprecedented case that truly deserves attention and gratitude to our warriors who intercepted these missiles. And, by the way, before this incident, only three out of more than 400 such missiles launched over the entire period had been intercepted," he noted.
In addition, according to the Air Force representative, the enemy is also using Kh-32 missiles. Like the Kh-22, they approach targets on a ballistic trajectory, which significantly complicates their interception.
Kh-22 missile: characteristics
- The Kh-22 is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile carried by the Tu-22M3 aircraft. It is designed to strike maritime targets (aircraft carriers and their strike groups), as well as ground targets.
- As Defence Express noted, the Kh-22 reaches speeds of up to Mach 4.6 and flies at altitudes of up to 22.5 km, which significantly complicates its interception by most surface-to-air missile systems.
