Russia deploys Zircon hypersonic missiles from the Kursk region to attack Kyiv.

In an attack that took place on the night of May 24th, the Russian Army deployed the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile for the first time from a ground-based mobile system in the Kursk region targeting objectives in Ukraine. According to reports from the Ukrainian Air Force, a total of three Zircon missiles were launched, and none were successfully intercepted.

Reduce the time it takes to attack the target.

Notably, Russia's deployment of this weapon near the border in the Kursk region significantly shortened the flight time to the capital Kyiv. Based on operational data, the distance from the launch site in the Kursk region to Kyiv is just over 400 km. With a maximum speed of Mach 8 to Mach 9, the Zircon missile takes only about 1.5 to 2 minutes to reach its target from the moment it leaves the launch pad.

Compared to previous attacks from Crimea (covering a distance of approximately 650 km in 3.5 minutes), the current flight time has been halved. This puts the enemy's defenses on high alert with virtually zero reaction time.

Technical specifications and penetration capabilities

The 3M22 Zircon is a versatile supersonic anti-ship cruise missile capable of destroying targets both at sea and on land. This system officially entered service with the Russian Armed Forces in January 2023 in two versions: ship-based and shore-based. In ground attack missions, the Zircon is deployed from the mobile Bastion missile system.

Furthermore, Ukrainian officials acknowledge that their current air defense system lacks the capability to intercept hypersonic missiles, regardless of their launch location. In addition to facing the Zircon, the air defense network protecting Kyiv is also struggling to cope with Geran-2 suicide drones, which frequently appear in daily attacks on military facilities.