World News

2nd Hypersonic Missile Used in Ukraine: Russian Defense Ministry

Distressed Patriotic Flag Unisex T-Shirt - Celebrate Comfort and Country $11.29 USD Get it here>>


Russia said it has used a hypersonic missile in Ukraine for the second time since the outbreak of hostilities, this time claiming to have struck a storage facility for fuel and lubricants used by the Ukrainian armed forces near the southern village of Kostiantynivka.

Russia’s defense ministry said in a March 20 operational update that on Sunday morning it had launched an aircraft-based hypersonic Kinzhal (“Dagger”) missile from airspace over Crimea, hitting and destroying the storage facility near Kostyantynivka, which is in the northern part of the Mikolaiv Oblast.

If accurate, this would be the second use of a hypersonic missile in the Russia–Ukraine war and, at the same time, the second use of such a weapon in combat. The first reportedly took place on Friday, with Russia’s defense ministry saying its forces used a hypersonic missile to destroy a large underground storage facility for missiles and aviation ammunition in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankovsk region.

The Pentagon has not confirmed that a hypersonic weapon was used in the attacks and The Epoch Times has not been able to verify the claims.

Hypersonic weapons are defined as anything traveling beyond Mach 5, or around 3,800 mph, which is five times faster than the speed of sound.

Epoch Times Photo
Russia’s MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles fly over Red Square during a military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2018. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States is in a race with Russia and China to develop hypersonic weapons and is accelerating development to catch up.

Hypersonic weapons travel at speeds similar to ballistic missiles but their maneuverability makes them difficult to shoot down.

Operational Updates

Russia’s defense ministry said in a Monday update that, to date, Russian forces have destroyed 216 Ukrainian drones, 1,506 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 152 multiple launch rocket systems, 592 field artillery and mortars, and 1,284 special military vehicles.

The Ukrainian military on Monday reported more attacks against Russian forces, claiming that at least 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in combat.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that at least 1,535 Russian armored personnel carriers, 969 vehicles, 498 tanks, 121 helicopters, 97 aircraft, and 24 drones have been destroyed.

British intelligence said Monday that heavy fighting continues north of Kyiv and that taking the capital remains Russia’s “primary military objective.”

The bulk of Russian forces remain around 16 miles from the center of Kyiv, with a Russian advance on the city from the northeast remaining “stalled,” according to UK intelligence.

Nearly 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine amid the fighting, according to the U.N., while at least 816 civilians have been killed.

Tom Ozimek

Follow

Tom Ozimek has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education. The best writing advice he’s ever heard is from Roy Peter Clark: ‘Hit your target’ and ‘leave the best for last.’





Source link

TruthUSA

I'm TruthUSA, the author behind TruthUSA News Hub located at https://truthusa.us/. With our One Story at a Time," my aim is to provide you with unbiased and comprehensive news coverage. I dive deep into the latest happenings in the US and global events, and bring you objective stories sourced from reputable sources. My goal is to keep you informed and enlightened, ensuring you have access to the truth. Stay tuned to TruthUSA News Hub to discover the reality behind the headlines and gain a well-rounded perspective on the world.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.