The Russian Armed Forces have fired a hypersonic “Kinzhal” missile at the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, marking the first recorded use of this high-speed weapon against the region since the onset of the full-scale war in 2022.
Also Read: What Is the Kinzhal Missile? Russia’s Hypersonic Weapon Used in Mykolaiv Strike
The strike was confirmed by Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, as reported by Ukrainian media and cited by Caliber.Az. The air raid sirens were triggered at 09:50 local time, shortly after Ukrainian monitoring systems detected the launch of a Russian MiG-31K fighter jet — an aircraft known for carrying the air-launched Kinzhal missile.
Though initial tracking suggested the missile might be headed toward Kyiv, it struck Mykolaiv at approximately 09:59, detonating with enough force to cause significant disruptions across the city, located about 400 kilometres south of the Ukrainian capital.
Eyewitnesses reported large-scale power outages and shared images and videos showing a massive column of smoke rising from the site of impact. The incident has sparked renewed concerns about the vulnerability of urban centres to Russia’s advanced missile arsenal.
The Kinzhal missile, capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 10, has been promoted by the Kremlin as a breakthrough in strike capability, designed to evade most modern air defence systems. Its deployment over Mykolaiv may indicate a strategic shift toward high-impact, precision attacks amid the protracted war.
Ukrainian authorities are assessing the damage and casualties from the strike, while regional infrastructure teams work to restore electricity and communication lines disrupted by the blast.
