Ukraine dissects Russia’s Zircon missile as Moscow leans on harder-to-intercept weapons

Ukraine has published a comprehensive assessment of Russia's Zircon missile, revealing details about its components, speed, manufacturers and foreign-made parts. The missile, a ballistic weapon that Russia has increasingly employed against Ukraine, is reportedly slower than Russia claims, with a maximum speed of Mach 6.8. The Ukrainian military intelligence agency, GUR, also identified over 70 companies and dozens of individuals involved in the production of the Zircon, challenging Russia's long-standing description of it as a hypersonic cruise missile.

The revelation comes as Russia leans more on harder-to-intercept weapons, like the Zircon, in its war with Ukraine. As Ukraine's air-defense systems have become more effective, Russia has resorted to using more advanced missiles, including the Iskander and Zircon. The deputy chairman of Ukraine's parliament's national security, defense, and intelligence committee, Yehor Cherniev, noted that Russia has reduced production of the Kinzhal missiles due to accuracy issues and instead focused on producing Iskander and Zircon missiles.

This shift in strategy comes as Ukraine faces shortages of critical air-defense interceptors, including the US-made MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system.