Russia’s ‘unstoppable’ Kinzhal hypersonic missile performs poorly despite Putin’s hype, UK intel says

Russia's Kinzhal ballistic missile, which has been highly publicized, is not performing as well as expected, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence. Despite Russia's plans to use these missiles to patrol the Black Sea, their performance in Ukraine has been subpar. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously claimed that the Kinzhal, which translates to 'dagger' in Russian, is an unstoppable hypersonic missile. However, the UK's intelligence update on Saturday contradicts this claim, stating that the missile is still in operational testing. Putin announced on October 18 that Russia would begin permanent patrols of the Black Sea using MiG-31I interceptor aircraft carrying Kinzhal missiles. He justified this decision by citing increased US involvement in Ukraine and a greater maritime presence in the eastern Mediterranean. Putin also claimed that the Kinzhal missiles have a range of over 1,000km and can reach speeds of up to Mach 9. The UK Ministry of Defence noted that Putin's announcement aligns with typical Russian domestic messaging, which often portrays the West as aggressors and Russian activity as necessary for the state's protection. Mentioning the Kinzhal was likely a strategic move to remind Russians of their nation's ongoing production of high-powered weapons. Analysts have long noted that the Kinzhal has yet to live up to its hyped reputation. Despite being an advanced system, it is not technically a 'hypersonic' weapon as Moscow often claims. While the Kinzhal has the capacity for hypersonic flight, it lacks sustained hypersonic flight ability and is not as difficult to defend against as weapons that possess this capability. In May, Ukraine claimed to have shot down a Kinzhal missile with a US-made Patriot interceptor. Days later, it claimed to have shot down an unprecedented six Russian Kinzhal missiles over Kyiv. The destruction of these missiles was seen as a psychological blow for Russia. Rostec, the missile's manufacturer, had previously claimed that there was no countermeasure to the Kinzhal. Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu also stated that it was impossible to detect or intercept the missile.