Why Russia's Kinzhal Hypersonic Missiles Cannot Be Shot Down in Ukraine

On Friday, Russian Defense Ministry officials reported the deployment of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Russian for Dagger) missiles against an underground weapons warehouse in Delyatin, Ukraine. This strike was filmed by Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle.

The use of Kinzhals in the conflict raises several questions, mostly related to their capabilities and why they were used at this particular point. Some analysts have speculated that Russia may have used Kinzhals as a signal to Ukraine and NATO that they are ready to escalate and use more destructive weaponry. Conversely, others have suggested the missiles were part of an advertising campaign intended to boost Russian military sales abroad.