Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

Russia's use of the Kinzhal missile a "head-scratcher" for Pentagon

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 22 Mar 2022 13:11
3 Min Read

Pentagon looks into Russia's use of hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, and Israeli media discusses the Kinzhal's capabilities.

  • x
  • Russia's MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles (AFP)
    Russia's MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles (AFP)

A US military official said the Russians' use of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile was a head-scratcher, considering it odd for the Kremlin to fire a hypersonic weapon.

“It’s a bit of a head-scratcher ... Why you would need a hypersonic missile fired from not that far away to hit a building?” the official said.

Russia's Defense Ministry had said on Friday that it deployed the Kinzhal ("dagger" in Russian) to destroy a large underground warehouse of Ukrainian missiles and aviation ammunition in western Ukraine.

Then on Sunday, the Russian MoD said it used the hypersonic missile again to destroy a large Ukrainian storage base for fuels and lubricants, which is the main fuel supply base for Ukraine's armored vehicles in the country's south. 

Pentagon, however, said it could not refute or independently confirm hypersonic weapon use in a strike. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in its February report that “defending against hypersonic missiles is strategically necessary, technologically possible, and fiscally affordable, but it will not be easy.”

Related News

'Israel’s' economy shrinks 3.5% amid war on Iran and Gaza costs

WSJ: Netanyahu wants to occupy Gaza, it won't be as easy as he thinks

Israeli media: The super missile that worries "Israel" and NATO

Israeli media also discussed the strike, as Walla! news said the use of the Russian superweapons puzzled experts in Europe and "Israel".

Amir Bohbot, the website's military commentator and reporter, commented on the weapon's use, calling it "one of the secret weapons and terror missiles of the Russian army."

The Kinzhal, Bohbot said, is a ballistic air-to-surface missile capable of reaching speeds five times the speed of sound, whose range is 2,000 km, and its main purpose is to strike warships and sensitive infrastructure like air defense systems. 

"Experts in Israel and Europe estimate that the use of the Russian super missile has a dramatic dimension of intimidation because of its tremendous speed, and its ability to disrupt defense systems," he added, saying that "it can be assumed that its use at such a stage of the campaign indicates a loss of patience on the Russian side."

The commentator also stated that the Kinzhal was not the only missile used in Ukraine that makes it difficult for advanced air defense systems, as Russia has also used the Iskander missile, which has been deployed in Syria in recent years.

Military Watch magazine had earlier said that the "Kinzhal is prized for its very high Mach 10 speed and high degree of maneuverability, which make it near impossible to intercept for any known air defense system."

Read more: Quagmire: Ukraine could be using Russian S-300 instead of the Patriot system

  • Kinzhal hypersonic missiles
  • Hypersonic Missile
  • Russia
  • Russian army
  • Israeli Media
  • Pentagon
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS