Russia began to use not only DPRK missiles in its attacks on Ukraine
The occupiers have begun to use not only North Korean missiles in their attacks on Ukraine. The list includes Kh-69, Zircon, and Grom-E1 missiles.
This was reported by Defense Express.
Kh-69
The information about the use of the Kh-69, according to the publication, appeared after the Russian missile strike on Ukraine on February 7.
It is now known that the Kh-69 is a further development of the Kh-59 and is intended for use by tactical aviation. The missile is manufactured using low-observability technologies, but this did not save it from being detected by the Ukrainian air defense system. According to Russian sources, the range of the Kh-69 is 290 km and its warhead weighs 310 kg.
According to Defence Express, it is likely that the development of this missile is the result of Russian attempts to close the gap with the West in air defense capabilities, creating an analog of Storm Shadow/SCALP and JASSM. Moreover, this missile was supposed to be a weapon designed specifically for the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet, but it was most likely used in Ukraine from a conventional Su-34.
Zircon
The occupiers used this 3M22 Zirkon hypersonic missile during a massive shelling of Ukraine on February 7. Previously, this system was supposed to be a full-fledged hypersonic complex with a glider warhead, unlike the Kh-47 Kinzhal, which is an aeroballistic missile and is not considered by most Ukrainian and Western experts to be a full-fledged hypersonic missile.
"In addition, many experts believed that the Zircon did not exist at all and that its development and testing was a Russian propaganda invention," the publication notes.
Grom E-1
As for this missile, its use has so far been isolated.
"However, over the past month, this is the second time it has been used - in the Kherson region, Myrnohrad, Donetsk region," the article says.-
The weight of the warhead is 315 kg, and the range of destruction when dropped from a height of 12 km is 120 km. Conceptually, the Grom-E1 is comparable to the French AASM Hammer munition and is a more expensive and more technologically advanced munition than conventional FABs.
North Korea's KN 23 missiles
According to open source data, the KN-23 is a solid-fuel tactical ballistic missile manufactured by North Korea. The KN-23 missile looks similar to the Russian 9M723 ballistic missile of the Iskander-M operational and tactical complex.
Like the Iskander-M missile, it has a quasi-ballistic trajectory, and after reaching an altitude of about 50 km, it moves in the atmosphere, where it can correct its flight path with aerodynamic rudders.
It is estimated that with a 500 kg warhead, the effective range can be up to 450 km. With a lighter warhead, the effective range can reach up to 690 km.
