US Commander: Russia has repeatedly fired supersonic missiles at Ukraine

“Most of these Russian missile strikes have been against military targets in Ukraine,” Todd Walters, the US military commander in Europe, told AFP on Tuesday night, according to IRNA.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden confirmed Russia’s use of supersonic missiles in its invasion of Ukraine.

According to IRNA, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that it had used supersonic missiles called “Kinzhal” against a military ammunition depot in the village of Deliatin in western Ukraine, and that the missile had successfully hit its target.

Hypersonic or supersonic missiles mean that these missiles can travel at a speed of at least five times the speed of sound (Mach 5) or more than 6,100 kilometers (3,800 miles) per hour. These missiles can maneuver in flight, which makes them much more difficult to track and intercept than traditional missiles. By reducing flight time, these types of missiles also reduce the ability to respond and react. Depending on the design, they can carry nuclear or conventional warheads and can upset the strategic balance.

Russia, the United States, China, and most recently North Korea have these types of missiles.

The US Department of Defense has prioritized the production and development of supersonic missiles to compete with Russia and China.

Criticizing the West’s indifference to Moscow’s security concerns, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday (February 21st) that his country had recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics and signed cooperation and friendship agreements with their leaders at the Kremlin.

In a speech on Russian national television on the morning of Thursday (February 24th), Putin announced military action in Donbas and called on Ukrainian forces to lay down their weapons and go home.