Ukrainian Air Force comments on Putin's remark on jets with hypersonic missiles to patrol Black Sea

The spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, said this in a comment to the Ukrainska Pravda.

"For Ukraine, the aggressor's new statement does not really change anything, as Russia threatens our country with various types of weapons every day. And the statement of the mad dictator would be better commented on by his spokesman," Ihnat said.

According to him, the technical characteristics of the Kh-47 Kinzhal air-to-ground missile allow Russia to launch it at the territory of Ukraine from both the northern and eastern directions. The Black Sea is just another direction.

At the same time, the spokesman stressed that Russian aviation already patrols the airspace there on a daily basis, including fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft.

According to Ihnat, Putin's threats are more aimed at NATO member states that potentially fall into the strike zone of the Kinzhal missiles. He called it "another Putin's horror story".

The Kh-47 missile is also capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead, as are the Kalibr cruise missiles on Russian ships in the Black and Azov Seas. In addition, the partner countries are likely to deploy their fighter jets to intercept Russian MiGs in neutral airspace over the Black Sea.

Asked by journalists whether the potentially more frequent take-offs of the Kinzhal missile carriers would mean more frequent sirens for Ukrainians, Ihnat said that, of course, when information is received about the take-off of a MiG-31K with a Kinzhal missile, the air raid warning will be activated.

• On October 18, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held lengthy talks on cooperation. After the meeting, Putin said that Ukraine had "thought about the negotiations" and that Russian aircraft armed with Kinzhal missiles would now patrol the Black Sea.