“According to verified information, as a result of a strike by the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system in the city of Kiev a multifunctional radar station, as well as five launchers of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by the United States were hit and completely destroyed on May 16, 2023,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Kinzhal (lit. “Dagger”) is one of new strategic weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2018. It first entered combat duty in December 2017, seeing extensive flight and combat testing. The nuclear-capable weapon was the first hypersonic missile system to be fielded by any country.
The Kinzhal has a range of more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles). It is capable of reaching a speed of up to Mach 10 (12,250 km/h or 7,612 mph) while also performing evasive maneuvers, which helps the Kinzhal to be virtually invulnerable to enemy air missile defense systems.