Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has involved the largest use of land-attack missiles in history, but also exposed the limitations and failures of its weapons.
UK intelligence noted on Tuesday that Russia’s air-launched ballistic missiles are not as “undefeatable” in practice as previously thought. The UK Ministry of Defence reported in an intelligence update that Russia’s Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles had a “mixed combat debut” in Ukraine.
“Many of its launches have likely missed their intended targets, while Ukraine has also succeeded in intercepting attacks by this supposedly ‘undefeatable’ system,” it said.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported in a Telegram post that Russia had fired three missiles towards Kyiv and a strategic airfield in the western city of Starokonstantinov. Ukraine stated that one missile was intercepted by an anti-missile unit in the Kyiv region, but did not provide information on the fate of the other two.
The Pentagon confirmed that various Russian missiles were experiencing failure rates of 20 to 60 percent, with “cruise missiles, particularly air-launched cruise missiles” having the lowest kill rates.
At the time, Putin touted the missile as “flying at a hypersonic speed, ten times faster than the speed of sound, that can also maneuver at all phases of its flight trajectory.”
He said that its speed “allows it to overcome all existing and, I think, prospective anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems, delivering nuclear and conventional warheads in a range of over 2,000 kilometers.”
However, the missile proved to be anything but, as several of them were shot down by Ukrainian forces or malfunctioned in flight.
The KILLJOY was supposed to be a secret weapon that could evade any defense system and strike with pinpoint accuracy. However, by using it in combat, Russia revealed its capabilities, limitations, and vulnerabilities to the West.
The missile’s failure also undermined Russia’s deterrence posture, as it showed that its claims of having high-precision weapons were exaggerated. Former Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov, who handled defense procurement, stated that the Kh-101, Bastion, Bal, Kalibr, Iskander, and Kinzhal missiles were high-precision missiles and that “high-precision munitions have the error probability of just a few meters”.
However, the reality on the ground contradicted this assertion, as many of the missiles missed their targets by large margins or failed to detonate. Some analysts suggested that Russia’s missile technology was outdated, unreliable, or sabotaged by cyberattacks.
The missile failures also had strategic implications, as they depleted Russia’s inventory and reduced its ability to sustain the offensive. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky stated that Russia had launched 2,154 missiles and Ukraine believes Russia has depleted 60 percent of its precision-missile arsenal.
The conflict in Ukraine has shown that Russia’s missile prowess was not as formidable as it claimed, and that its weapons were prone to failure and interception. The use of missiles also had unintended consequences, as it exposed Russia’s secrets, eroded its deterrence, and drained its resources.
Relevant articles:
– Russia Showing ‘Undefeatable’ Missile Doesn’t Work That Well: UK Intel
– Lessons from Russian Missile Performance in Ukraine
– Vladimir Putin’s ‘undefeatable’ missile was a costly illusion – the …
– Russia claims first use of hypersonic Kinzhal missile in Ukraine