Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
Air-launched aeroballistic missile of the MiG-31K/I
An air-launched derivative of the Iskander-M missile (9M723), carried by converted MiG-31K/I interceptors that release it at high altitude and speed. Russia presents it as a 'hypersonic weapon' with Mach 10 and ≈ 2,000 km range (including the carrier's radius); in practice it is a quasi-ballistic missile that manoeuvres in the terminal phase. First used against Ukraine in March 2022 and first intercepted by Patriot over Kyiv in May 2023 — the end of the 'unstoppable' claim. It is a scarce, expensive weapon: according to Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (HUR), mass production was halted in April 2026 and Russia had ≈ 50 left in July 2026, while the number of MiG-31 carriers grew to 40+. A Kinzhal shot down in May 2026 again contained US Texas Instruments processors; according to Ukraine, Russia's substitution effort failed.
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- Missile (L × Ø, span)
- ≈ 7.2–8.0 m × Ø 1.0–1.2 m, fin span 1.5 m; 4,300–4,400 kg (estimates)
- Dimension source
- Wikipedia; WEG (ODIN)
General
- Type
- Air-launched aeroballistic missile (derived from the 9M723 Iskander-M)
- Carriers
- MiG-31K/I (40+ converted, 2026; 24 at end-2023) — see the MiG-31 card; Tu-22M3 also reported
- Use
- Ukraine since March 2022, against high-value targets (C2, air defence, energy, Kyiv)
- Stockpile / production
- ≈ 50 (HUR, July 2026); mass production halted in April 2026 — earlier ≈ 5 per month and ≈ 100 in stock (Defense Express, July 2026)
- Designation / design (HUR, Oct 2026)
- Industrial designation 9-S-7760. According to HUR, ≈ 90% of its components and systems are the same as or closely related to those of the 9M723 (Iskander-M). Specific to the Kinzhal: an aerodynamic tail fairing jettisoned after motor ignition, a radar seeker, an onboard active jamming station and a decoy-release system — source: Militarnyi / Euromaidan Press (12 Oct 2026), RU Mil Tracker e-20261014-03; not independently confirmed
- 2026 order (HUR)
- State order for 2026 sharply reduced; production capacity, components and raw materials shifted to the 9M723 for Iskander-M, partly because MiG-31 carriers are few and the MiG-31 is no longer built — source: as above
- Production chain (HUR)
- 58 Russian enterprises, 22 of them not sanctioned by any member of the sanctions coalition — source: as above
Performance
- Max range
- RU claim ≈ 1,080 NM (2,000 km) including carrier; the missile itself ≈ 260 NM (480 km), open-source estimate
- Speed
- RU claim Mach 10; hypersonic in the dive, but interceptable
- Warhead
- ≈ 480 kg conventional; nuclear possible. According to HUR (Oct 2026) the conventional version is a penetrating high-explosive warhead in a thick-walled steel casing; a high-explosive fragmentation warhead is reportedly in development
- Guidance
- Inertial + satellite navigation, terminal manoeuvre; still Western (TI) processors on board (HUR, 2026)
Threat
- Effect
- Very short warning time from the moment the MiG-31 launches
- Countermeasure
- Patriot PAC-3 MSE (first intercept May 2023); early warning on MiG-31Ks taking off; strikes on the bases
- Threat level
- High — dangerous per missile, but rarely used because of the small stockpile
News archive 14
Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.
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Ukraine's HUR names 30 foreign-made machines used by Russian ballistic missile producers, including Chinese five-axis centres and German Rohde & Schwarz equipment
Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR) has published details of 30 items of foreign-made technological equipment that it says are used by Russian factories producing ballistic missiles and their components, such as altimeters, aerodynamic rudders and gyroscopes. According to HUR, the equipment was made in China, Germany, Taiwan, the US, Türkiye, Switzerland a…
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Ukraine confirms missile strike on Energiya plant in Yelets, sole Russian maker of glide-bomb guidance batteries and supplier for Iskander and Kinzhal
On the afternoon of 25 October, missiles struck the Energiya plant in Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast, about 250 km from the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian OSINT community Exilenova+ said the strike most likely involved UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Lipetsk Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed a strike on Yelets's industrial zone and said one person was in…
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Zelensky sanctions Russian missile makers and military-industry suppliers, including RUSAL group companies
President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted two decisions of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council. They impose sanctions on Russian companies and individuals involved in producing ballistic and cruise missiles, drones, military aircraft and other weapons, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing the President's Office.
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Zelensky: Ukraine received only 24 Patriot interceptors from the US in the past 90 days
In an interview with ABC News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States had supplied Ukraine with only 24 interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defence system over the past 90 days, Militarnyi reported on 24 October, linking to the interview. He compared that with the opening of the Middle East war, when he said countries fired about…
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«New russian Filin Missile Consists Half of American, Chinese Components: Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Reveals Details» (Defense Express)
Defense Express reviews the component analysis of Russia's new Filin cruise missile that Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR) published on its War&Sanctions portal, including a 3D model, an assembly breakdown and a list of electronic parts. The outlet stresses HUR's finding that the missile's electronics resemble those of other Russian missiles and UAVs, wi…
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HUR: Russia keeps missile stocks steady at up to 700 ballistic and several thousand cruise missiles, produces 200+ missiles a month, and has ordered over 100,000 Geran-type drones and decoys for 2026
According to figures Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) gave the Ukrainian outlet NV, published on 20 October 2026 and reported by Euromaidan Press, Russia holds up to 700 ballistic missiles and several thousand cruise missiles in reserve, roughly the same level HUR reported in July despite the autumn mass strikes. Russia can produce more than 200 missil…
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Bipartisan group of 23 US House members urges Trump to ask Elon Musk to let Ukraine use Starlink to hunt Russian ballistic missile launchers inside Russia
A bipartisan group of 23 members of the US House of Representatives, seven Republicans and 16 Democrats, has written to President Donald Trump urging him to ask Elon Musk to let Ukraine use the Starlink satellite internet system to hunt for missile launchers inside Russia. The letter, sent on 21 October, was obtained by The Hill and reported by European Pra…
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Ukraine still waiting almost a month for Hegseth's sign-off on allied-funded Patriot and NASAMS interceptors, now the last remaining US hold, as Kyiv also presses Lockheed Martin for PAC-3 MSE and F-16 repairs
On 26 October President Zelensky said Ukraine has been waiting 'almost a month' for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign off on missiles for its Patriot and NASAMS systems, and that he had instructed his team to raise the matter with Washington once again, Ukrainska Pravda and Euromaidan Press report. He spoke after a coordination meeting with the defe…
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Ukrainian intelligence: Kh-47M2 Kinzhal shares ~90% of its components with the Iskander-M's 9M723, and 58 Russian firms make it
On 12 October Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR/DIU) published a breakdown of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal and its production chain, including an interactive 3D model on its War&Sanctions portal, as reported by Militarnyi and Euromaidan Press. HUR gives the missile the Russian industrial designation 9-S-7760 and describes it as a single-stage, solid-fuel aeroballi…
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Ukraine says an intercepted Russian document plans up to 1,000 missiles, drones and bombs against 60 Ukrainian infrastructure targets this winter
Ukraine says it has obtained a Russian plan for a winter strike campaign against its critical infrastructure. Euromaidan Press, citing The New York Times (2 October) and RFE/RL's Schemes project (8 October), reports that the Russian-language document is dated August and lists 60 key targets to be hit with up to 1,000 weapons. These reportedly include up to…
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Ukraine unveils home-built 'Koral' air-defense missile with claimed anti-ballistic role at MSPO 2026
At Poland's MSPO 2026 defense exhibition in Kielce (8–11 September 2026), Ukraine publicly displayed its domestically developed "Koral" (also spelled "Coral"; Ukrainian Корал) surface-to-air missile for the first time, alongside a launcher concept. State defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom released an image showing a missile launching from a self-propelled l…
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HUR: Russia failed to substitute Western chips in the Kinzhal missile and reverted to US-made processors
According to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president's commissioner for sanctions policy, Russia's effort to substitute Western microelectronics in the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile with domestic chips has failed. In 2023 the Russian defence industry attempted a mass replacement of American Texas Instruments processors with locally produced equivalents, but a…
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Ukraine's foreign intelligence: European NATO members may be a 'second target' of Russia's winter missile buildup
Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) has warned that European NATO members may become a "second target" of Russia's winter missile buildup, alongside primary strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure and power grid. Major General Oleh Luhovskyi presented the assessment to European national security advisors on 6 September 2026. According to the…
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Why Does Russia Need More Than 40 MiG-31 Kinzhal Carriers if It Has Only About 100 Missiles?
According to an analysis by Defense Express (Ivan Kyrychevskiy, July 20, 2026), Russia now operates more than 40 MiG-31K/I aircraft converted to carry the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile, while the stockpile of that weapon stands at only around 100 units, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence directorate (HUR). Production runs at roughly five missi…