Russia strikes Ukraine's Sumy region with Zircon hypersonic missile: Details
Illustrative photo: Russia strikes Sumy region with Zircon missiles (Getty Images)
On Friday morning, November 14, a powerful explosion rocked Sumy. According to preliminary data, the Russian army may have used a hypersonic Zircon missile in the attack, according to Artem Kobzar, acting mayor of Sumy, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kobzar says the explosion heard by Sumy residents today was the result of a Russian strike on the outskirts of the city. He specifies that the missile hit the road surface.
According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or fatalities. The explosion damaged a section of the road in the direction of Stare Selo, temporarily restricting traffic.
All necessary services are working at the site.
Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine says that, according to preliminary data, Russian troops used a Zircon-type missile against the Sumy region in the morning.
"Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko has already reported on the progress of rescue operations at the sites. I am grateful to everyone helping our people. Commander of the Air Force Anatolii Kryvonozhko also reported on the results of our air defense work. I thank our warriors for their effective actions," Zelenskyy says.
Zircon missile
The 3M22 Zircon is a Russian hypersonic cruise missile that the Kremlin positions as a super weapon without analogues. It was developed by the NPO Mashinostroyenia design bureau and was first officially presented in 2019.
Russia does not officially disclose the characteristics of the Zircon missile and does not demonstrate it publicly, but has announced some of its parameters at various times.
According to available data, the missile has a range of 400-600 km to over 1,000 km, a speed of up to 8-9 Mach, rises to an altitude of 30-40 km, and carries a warhead weighing about 300-400 kg. Its length is approximately 8-10 meters.
The Zircons are launched from 3S-14 vertical launchers, which Russia deploys on ships, submarines, and mobile ground launchers.
Russia has also announced the creation of a land-based Bastion system for these missiles. In addition, launches can presumably be carried out from stationary complexes such as the modernized Object 100 in occupied Crimea.
Zircon attacks on Ukraine
Russia has already struck Sumy with a Zircon missile on August 21, when a 3M22 hypersonic missile hit the city. After analyzing the debris, experts confirmed that it was indeed a Zircon that was used.
According to the military resource Defense Express, this was already the 14th launch of this hypersonic missile, but the attack proved ineffective.
The first recorded launches of Zircons against Ukraine took place in the spring of 2024, when Ukrainian air defense forces were able to shoot down two such missiles over Kyiv.
On February 7, 2024, during a missile attack on the capital, Russia may also have used the ZM22 Zircon anti-ship hypersonic missile.
Read more about the Zircon missile in the RBC-Ukraine's report.
