(WatchDogReport.org) – The Ukrainian government claimed on February 12 that it had evidence that Russia had deployed a hypersonic missile for the first time in the nearly 2-year invasion of Ukraine. Over the last few months, experts have said the missile in question is one of the most sophisticated and dangerous, as it’s almost impossible to shoot down.
The Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, which is located in the capital Kyiv and is run by the Ukrainian government, said on Telegram that it discovered the use of the missile because of debris recovered in a February 7 attack. The institute stated that, after conducting an in-depth study into the parts and components, it could determine that the Russian military used a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile.
The institute, which is part of the Ukrainian government’s Justice Ministry, accompanied its post with a video that showed pieces of debris alleged to be part of the new missile. The post also read that the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile was never used in any combat before.
While Ukrainian authorities reported 38 people were severely injured and four people were killed during the recent missile attacks in Kyiv, no casualty has been linked to the suspected hypersonic weapon. According to some reports, Ukrainian authorities didn’t say anything about the missile’s launch platform, which some Russian state media reports said it was deployed on a Russian warship.
Experts have said that the missile — if it lives up to all the hype — could be one of the most formidable weapons in circulation right now. According to the US Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, the missile’s hypersonic speed makes it nearly invulnerable to the greatest missile defenses in the West.
On its website, the alliance explained that the Zircon could be the fastest missile in the world. It notes that the weapon is completely covered during flight by a “plasma cloud” that can absorb rays of radio frequencies, making it invisible to radar.
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