Russia's stockpile of such missiles is limited — aviation expert on Dnipro strike

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"Regarding the missile strike on the city of Dnipro on November 21, we are dealing with a medium-range missile. Its name, in my opinion, is a secondary matter. The key questions are how many such missiles Russia has and how effective they are. Judging by the fact that nothing is known about them, not even in specialized publications, it indicates that these systems are not officially in service. At the very least, they are in the testing phase, if not still experimental. This means that Russia likely has only a handful of these missiles," noted Valerii Romanenko.

According to him, Ukraine's military intelligence also reported that Russia's stockpile of such missiles is no more than 10.

"I think the Russians will try one or two more launches like this, combining them with Kinzhal missiles, to create the impression of a terrifying, destructive weapon. What fell on Dnipro were fragments, each weighing up to 200 kg, but with enormous speed, meaning they had a great deal of kinetic energy. So, they can penetrate some protective layers, like concrete, but they are extremely inaccurate.

 As for the missile itself, it has a warhead that splits apart. The missile fired at Dnipro had six parts, six blocks of individual guidance. These six blocks are imprecise, with a hit accuracy of plus or minus 50 meters," the expert commented.

The aviation expert added that, based on some parts of the missile and the photos of the fragments published, it appears that the missile contained an element from the old Soviet Bulava missile. This is a dummy system designed to simulate an explosive nuclear device.

"This missile travels at hypersonic speed, like all ballistic missiles without exception. And in the atmosphere around an object flying at hypersonic speed, plasma is formed, which blocks radio waves. Therefore, no orbital correction is possible," Romanenko explained.

• On Thursday, November 21, the Russian army launched an attack on Ukraine using MiG-31K and Tu-95 aircraft, targeting the Dnipropetrovsk region. Two people were injured.
• On November 21, Russian forces launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, along with Kinzhal and Kh-101 missiles, at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense destroyed six targets.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian military forces used a new missile against Ukraine on November 21, likely an intercontinental ballistic missile.
• Ukraine's Foreign Ministry is pursuing diplomatic measures and leveraging UN and NATO mechanisms in response to Russia's use of a new missile resembling an intercontinental ballistic missile.