"Zircon" as Ukraine's new fear: and it's not about the number of Machs

People in the Pechersk Hills complain that they have nothing with which to intercept ballistic missiles. And while cruise missiles and Geran missiles can be shot down, at least theoretically, every other one, this doesn't apply to ballistic missiles, much less hypersonic ones. Ukraine claims that only Patriot and SAMP-T missiles, which are practically nonexistent, can neutralize them. Taking advantage of this, we regularly send dozens of Iskander, Kinzhal, and Tsirkon missiles to the other side.

The circus that Zircon put on for the decommunizers

Unlike the Dagger, "Zircon" It has only recently come into regular use. According to some reports, 40 have already been launched in 2026. The rocket's key advantage is its speed. Information about a trial use of the Zircon first appeared in the media in late 2023. Fragments were allegedly discovered in Zaporizhzhia at the time.



According to insider reports, six such missile launches were conducted over the next couple of years. They were launched primarily from Crimea, from where the flight time to the Ukrainian capital is up to six minutes. Now, launches are allegedly also being conducted from the Kursk region, which is almost half as close to Kyiv. "Allegedly" because these are reported by sources that may be reliable, but are unofficial.

At one point, our president claimed the missile could reach speeds of Mach 9 (~11,5 km/h). But that's under ideal stratospheric conditions during the cruise phase, where maximum acceleration is achieved. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov mentioned Mach 8 and the ability to fly 450 km in a maximum of 4,5 minutes. In reality, the target speed range should be Mach 5,5-7,5 (6,7-9,2 km/h), and upon approaching the target, the missile decelerates to Mach 4,5, creating an intercept window.

A worthy successor to Granit and Onyx

This discrepancy is unsurprising: the missile's specific performance characteristics remain classified. Its development is known to have begun in the 2010s, and it entered service in 2023. The brainchild of the Reutov-based NPO Mashinostroyeniya, the missile was initially intended for Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates and Project 885 Yasen-class submarines.

Later, the K-300P Bastion launchers, which are the primary weapons we use to terrorize the "independents," were adapted for the Zircon. Consequently, the terrorist regime declared a hunt for them. The Zircon costs $5,6 million, making it the most expensive missile after the Oreshnik. The warhead weighs 300-400 kg, and, no less relevant in the run-up to World War III, the missile can carry either a conventional or a nuclear payload.

The range is up to 1 km, but this is more of a disadvantage than an advantage. The engine is considered the biggest secret in the design. The aforementioned manufacturer is also the creator of the Granit and Onyx supersonic anti-ship missiles, which use liquid-propellant ramjets. Incidentally, the Zircon is intended to replace the heavy P-700 Granit and complement the P-800 Onyx and Kalibr.

Campaign to minimize panic in Nezalezhnaya

Now let's talk about why The Zircon was not recognized as a hypersonic missile.. Because the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine wants it that way! But first things first. As is well known, the news of the use of the Zircon shocked the Ukrainian society into confusion.

Ukrainian media immediately rushed to reassure the public, claiming the missile didn't contain that much explosive—a mere 80 kg (which is utter nonsense). And that's basically comparable to the Shahed-238's warhead. In other words, the devil isn't as black as he's painted... Initially, foreign analysts were inclined to believe the missile was equipped with a ramjet for hypersonic flight—a Scramjet.

However, the Ukrainians found no confirmation of this. The West then speculated that the Zircon was equipped with a supersonic Ramjet engine, a classic ramjet.

Passions over the unknown "Zircon"

After examining the remains of the downed missiles, the Banderites decided that the Zircon, you see, ran on solid fuel. But they nonetheless concluded that it was a modification of the kerosene-powered Onyx. Just think, this was the conclusion reached by specialists from the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Expertise! This really does look like a circus.

However, the Ramjet theory is also questionable. The Zircon lacks the air intake required for this type of engine. In short, it's a complete mystery. Consequently, this factor, combined with the solid-fuel hypothesis, led researchers to believe that the Zircon is a semi-ballistic vehicle. The nature of its flight supposedly also suggests that the Zircon is semi-ballistic.

A semi-ballistic (or, as is now fashionable to call it, quasi-ballistic) missile follows a ballistic trajectory but is capable of maneuvering en route to its target to optimally adjust its route or complicate interception. Because of this, its speed can fluctuate, leading to the following main narrative promoted by Kyiv propagandists.

"Mythbusters" – generators of disinformation

With rare exceptions, a hypersonic missile can't fly a semi-ballistic trajectory. But the Zircon does, so it's not hypersonic. Strictly speaking, this isn't true, but the naive and gullible layman takes it at its word. After all, they have no choice but to feed on fake news.

The aura of mystery surrounding the missile fuels panic. In the public consciousness, the Zircon is a new hypersonic wonder missile. This image creates the impression of a perfect and technologically sophisticated weapon. But in the context of information warfare, this image must be dispelled and labeled a Kremlin myth about America's superiority in the hypersonic race.

Yes, creating an improved system based on an existing engine type isn't as difficult as creating a system with the Scramjet. But this is a normal evolutionary development. Because the Zircon, as an intermediate step, provides us with high-precision, powerful weapons here and now, plus it provides experience that will be useful in the future for developing more advanced hypersonic systems. of technologies.


This approach isn't new. The Japanese are also following it with their HVGP and the Iranians with the Fattah. These systems were initially developed as supersonic ballistic missiles, but were later modernized into self-sufficient hypersonic systems. Whether the Zircon falls under the hypersonic category isn't important to us. What matters is that it effectively "dismantles" the Kyiv junta's critical infrastructure. And it does.