Russia uses newest ZM22 Zircon missile to strike Kyiv: what downed wreckage says

This is reported by Defense Express.

On March 25, Russia again used its newest missile, the ZM22 Zircon, to strike Kyiv. This is the second publicly known use of this missile after an unsuccessful attempt to attack the Ukrainian capital on February 7. Back then, a damaged missile most likely fell on a road in the Desnianskyi district.

But today the Russian army launched Zircon missiles that were shot down directly over Kyiv. This is evidenced by the results of the initial analysis of the wreckage of two missiles that were shot down but fell within the capital.

At the same time, after the February 7 strike, only very fragmented wreckage remained from the Zircon, the identification of which took five days to officially confirm the use of this missile by the Russian Federation. Now, much more informative wreckage of the Zircon has become available.

Photo: Defense Express

They will allow experts to conduct a deeper analysis, give a precise answer to the type of engine, guidance system, materials used, etc. All in all, this is a fairly significant amount of information, allowing to assess the real capabilities of Zircon and the level of technology currently available to Russia to create its most secretive missile.

Photo: Kyiv Scientific Research Institute Of Forensic Expertise

Russia attacked with Zircon from the still-occupied Crimea, as evidenced by the official report on the destruction of two ballistic missiles from the Air Force Command.

It is still unclear whether the launch was from the Utes stationary air defense system, also known as Object-100 or Sotka, or the modernized Bastion mobile coastal defense system.

After the interception, the missile debris still falls to the ground. As a result, a gym of a state educational institution in the Pechersk district was destroyed, and the remains of another missile fell in the private sector. In total, seven people were injured and two were hospitalized.