The almost intact missile warhead, which was found on Ukrainian soil after the deadly Russian missile attack on 2 January, could provide Kiev with important information about the Russian Kinzhal supersonic missile.
The Chronicle of the Recovery of the Head
More specifically, and according to a new article in the prestigious US defence website The War Zone, Ukrainian mine collectors on Friday undertook the disarming of the warhead of a Russian-made Kh-47 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile. This weapon was one of 10 missiles said to have been launched by the Kremlin against Kiev on 2 January.
The competent mine destruction team of the Ukrainian authorities (called DSNC) worked in the crowded Shevchenkivskyi district of the Ukrainian capital to disarm the explosive warhead of the weapon, it said in an official statement. The team posted photos showing the creation of a huge crater around the warhead, as well as images of the disarming process.
In an attempt to highlight the dangers of such a mission, the Ukrainian team said that "dealing with various types of ammunition, missiles and improvised explosive devices is a routine mission for DSNC engineers, who work for the safety of the Ukrainian people."
The Importance and Possible Acquisition of Sensitive Information
Although the Ukrainian authorities have not reported anything further about the incident, analysts from around the world - including The War Zone - say that the recovery of the Kinzhal missile warhead represents a good opportunity for the Ukrainian military to obtain useful data on the technology of this advanced Russian weapon.
We are sure that the warhead in question will be taken to a specialised laboratory, where it will be studied in detail by experts from the country, perhaps even from Western states. This will give NATO a better understanding of the capabilities of the weapon, its production process and the materials used by the Russian defence industry to manufacture its Kinzhal.
By extension, the Ukrainians and the West will try to exploit this very useful data on the battlefield to discover ways to counter the Russian Kinzhal in the air.
As for the Kinzhal missile, often called the Dagger, it should be recalled that it has a powerful warhead of almost half a ton and is designed to be carried and launched by Russian MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor aircraft.