Ukraine averts disaster: Russian missiles found and defused in Lviv
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reports the identification of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal and Kh-101 missiles in the Lviv region. Demolition experts handled the unexploded missiles and neutralized the threat. This is another instance where a Russian attack did not go as planned.
The Russian Federation's army has repeatedly faced problems while shelling Ukraine. Their missiles have been crashing in various locations recently. At the beginning of August, the Ukrainian emergency service reported the discovery of remnants of a Russian Kh-101 missile in a Kyiv pond.
The unexploded missile from Kyiv was like a ticking time bomb, and this is not the only such case. In another instance, in the Khmelnytskyi region, a warhead of the much more dangerous hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile was identified. It posed a serious threat to the local residents— the unexploded missile could have detonated at any moment.
Two unexploded missiles in the Lviv region
As reported by Ukrainian agency Unian, in the Lviv region (the services did not provide a precise location), two unexploded missiles were found—a Kh-101 and a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
"In the Lviv region, demolition experts from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine took over the warheads of Kinzhal and Kh-101 missiles," reads the service's statement on Telegram. The missiles landed near Lviv during a massive shelling conducted by the Russian Federation's army and did not explode. The demolition experts neutralized the threat, "preventing further destruction and possible civilian casualties."
Out of the two missiles found near Lviv, the Kinzhal represents a greater threat due to its parameters. According to unofficial information, it weighs over 10,000 pounds and has an estimated range of 1,240 miles. This powerful weapon is carried by specific fighter jets—the MiG-31Ks— though the Russians have also adapted Tu-22M3 bombers.
The greatest advantage of the Kinzhal is its speed. It is believed to reach Mach 10, though there is no evidence to confirm this specification. The maximum speed of the Kh-47M2 may be about Mach 8 (approximately 6,089 mph). Additionally, the missile is highly mobile due to its great manoeuvrability. This makes it hard for Kinzhal to shoot down, as it can evade threats at any stage of its flight by performing appropriate manoeuvres.
Meanwhile, the Kh-101 missile, also identified near Lviv, is continuously being developed by the Russian Federation's arms industry. In its latest version, the Kh-101 features two warheads, one of which is cassette-based. The missile can accelerate to about 621 mph and reach approximately 3,107 miles from the launch site. The Otblesk-U guidance module is responsible for the strike's precision, comparing the image recorded during flight with the one stored in the missile's memory before launch. This ensures accuracy within several yards.
