Flight trajectories of Russian missiles. Infographic
On the night of February 15, the Russians again attacked Ukraine with missiles of various types. The Ukrainian Air Force shoots down most of the Russian hardware flying into our territory, but some missiles still reach their targets. We have figured out the trajectory of hundreds of kilograms of explosives flying towards us.
S-300
An anti-aircraft missile used by the Russians to shoot at the ground. The warhead weighs 133 kg. It is used with the use of beacons to which the missile is directed or with the replacement of the guidance system. Beacons for missiles are set up by saboteurs, and this creates certain problems.
By the way, there is a version that the accuracy of the anti-aircraft missile hit on the estate of “Nibulon” CEO Oleksiy Vadatursky is the result of the work of such a saboteur.
But today there are few cases of corrector operation. And the use of 5V55 against ground targets is quite widespread.
Ballistics. Conditional flight trajectory: 5В55
The launch is carried out from the S-300 air defense missile system
Maximum speed 4680 km/h
max 27 км
HEIGHT
Maximum range declared by the manufacturer depending on the type of missile and installation:
150, 200, 300 km
90°
120 km for 5B55
Ballistics. Conditional flight trajectory: 5В55
The launch is carried out from the S-300 air defense missile system
Maximum speed 4680 km/h
max 27 km
HEIGHT
Maximum range declared by the manufacturer depending on the type of missile and installation:
150, 200, 300 km
90°
120 km for 5B55
Ballistics. Conditional flight trajectory: 5В55
The launch is carried out from the S-300 air defense missile system
Maximum speed 4680 km/h
max 27 km
HEIGHT
90°
120 km for 5B55
Maximum range declared by the manufacturer depending on the type of missile and installation:
150, 200, 300 km
They are used as surface-to-surface missiles using command guidance. The first 5V55 modification had this option: the coordinates were entered, and the system's radar guided the missile to the target, adjusting the flight. But in this case, the firing range is limited by the radio range and is 25-30 km. And it is dangerous to bring the S-300 to such a distance from a ground target, as the system would be immediately covered by artillery fire. In addition, most 5B55s have semi-active guidance units, not command units, i.e. radio direction finders.
Patriot or SAMP/T systems are being shot down, but unfortunately, most often they are not intercepted in time and hit civilian buildings and infrastructure.
“Kinzhal”
The Kh-47M “Kinzhal” is a Russian hypersonic air defense missile system. The 9-S-7760 hypersonic missiles of the complex are capable of hitting both stationary objects, such as ammunition depots, and infrastructure. "Kinzhal" is an aviation version of the "Iskander" system. The warhead weighs 500 kg of TNT.
Ballistics. Conditional flight path: Kinzhal
The launch is carried out from a MiG-31K fighter jet and from a Tu-22M3 bomber-missile carrier
Maximum speed 14 688 km/h
HEIGHT
max 20 km
пуск
15–17 km
90°
DISTANCE
The maximum range declared by the manufacturer is 2000 km when launched from the MiG-31K and over 3000 km when launched from Tu-22M3
Ballistics. Conditional flight path: Kinzhal
The launch is carried out from a MiG-31K fighter jet and from a Tu-22M3 bomber-missile carrier
Maximum speed 14 688 km/h
HEIGHT
max 20 km
пуск
15-17 km
90°
DISTANCE
The maximum range declared by the manufacturer is 2000 km when launched from the MiG-31K and over 3000 km when launched from Tu-22M3
Ballistics. Conditional flight path: Kinzhal
The launch is carried out from a MiG-31K fighter jet and from a Tu-22M3 bomber-missile carrier
Maximum speed 14 688 km/h
max 20 km
HEIGHT
пуск
15–17 km
90°
DISTANCE
The maximum range declared by the manufacturer is 2000 km when launched from the MiG-31K and over 3000 km when launched from Tu-22M3
The Air Defense Forces shot down 25 such missiles, said Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force. The first “Kinzhal” air-to-air missile was shot down on May 4, 2023, using a Patriot air defense system. As of January 7, 2024, 63 Kinzhal missiles have been launched since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Due to its high speed, the missile can only be intercepted by Western Patriot air defense systems.
X-101
The X-101 missile is a new generation of Russian missiles. It is equipped with heat traps, has its own electronic warfare system, and a Pentium 5 onboard computer. It is made using stealth technology. The warhead weighs 450 kg. It is a subsonic missile, but its maneuverability is higher than that of the Kalibr. It is used to destroy infrastructure facilities, defense companies, and ammunition depots. The range is up to 5 thousand kilometers.
Cruise missile. Conditional flight path: X-101
The launch is carried out from Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers
max 10 km
HEIGHT
launch
6 км
Maximum speed 900 km/h
Cruising speed 720 km/h
min 30 m
DISTANCE
The maximum flight range declared by the manufacturer is 5500 km
Cruise missile. Conditional flight path: X-101
The launch is carried out from Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers
max 10 km
HEIGHT
launch
6 км
Maximum speed 900 km/
Cruising speed 720 km/h
min 30 m
DISTANCE
The maximum flight range declared by the manufacturer is 5500 km
Cruise missile. Conditional flight path: X-101
The launch is carried out from Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers
max 10 км
HEIGHT
launch
6 км
Maximum speed 900 km/
Cruising speed 720 km/h
min 30 m
DISTANCE
The maximum flight range declared by the manufacturer is 5500 km
It is destroyed by two types of air defense systems: Patriot and SAMP/T (French: Sol-air moyenne portée/terrestre), a ground-based air defense missile system that uses Aster family missiles. The system was developed by the European consortium Eurosam, formed by MBDA Italy, MBDA France and Thales.
During the attack on February 7, 2024, 26 out of 29 X-101/X-555/X-55 missiles were intercepted by air defense forces. Their target was Kyiv. According to KMAS chief Serhiy Popko, the missiles maneuvered and entered the capital in several waves from different directions. All of them were shot down by air defense systems provided to us by our allies.
“Kalibr”
According to many experts, the “Kalibr” missile is a very serious weapon. The warhead weighs 350 kg. It can be launched from ships, submarines, and from the ground.
It is used to hit key targets, such as command and control points, air bases and air defense batteries, and critical infrastructure. The guidance system is combined: inertial in combination with satellite navigation, and Tercom (orientation by visually visible ground landmarks) for attacking ground targets.
Cruise missile. Conditional flight path: Kalibr
The launch is carried out from a warship and a submarine
HEIGHT
150 m
Maximum speed 648-864 km/h
50 m
DISTANCE
Maximum declared by the manufacturer flight range 2600 km
Launch from a submarine at a depth of 30-40 m
Cruise missile. Conditional flight path: Kalibr
The launch is carried out from a warship and a submarine
HEIGHT
150 m
Maximum speed 648-864 km/h
50 m
DISTANCE
Maximum declared by the manufacturer flight range 2600 km
Launch from a submarine at a depth of 30-40 m
Cruise missile. Conditional flight path: Kalibr
The launch is carried out from a warship and a submarine
HEIGHT
150 m
Maximum speed 648-864 km/h
50 m
DISTANCE
Launch from a submarine at a depth of 30–40 m
Maximum declared by the manufacturer flight range 2600 km
Ракети "Kalibr" missiles can be launched from various platforms, including mobile missile systems like "Club-M" or from aircraft like the Su-35, using the "Club-A" system.
Since the target visibility is important for the guidance system, “Kalibr” is used mainly during daylight hours. Based on war experience, the targeting accuracy is up to 100 meters in the absence of countermeasures by electronic warfare systems.
It can be shot down by all air defense systems that can detect and shoot down an aircraft.
They are shot down from the “Gepard” system, and they have been shot down from 12.7-caliber machine guns. In general, Ukrainian air defense can shoot down those types of cruise missiles whose tactical and technical characteristics allow them to be shot down by the Buk-M1 and S-300 systems we have in service. These are anti-aircraft guided missiles that can shoot down both airplanes and cruise missiles. In addition, there have been cases of these missiles being shot down by “Igla” and its analogs.
"Shahed"
The Shahed 136 is an Iranian-made missile aircraft carrying 40-50 kg of explosives. It was first introduced in 2020. It is launched from launchers, usually five in a salvo. It is a precision weapon.
Shahed. Conditional flight path
The launch is carried out from the launcher
max 4 km
HEIGHT
Maximum speed 220 km/h
500 m
min 60 m
30–60°
DISTANCE
The maximum flight range declared by the manufacturer is 2500 km
Shahed. Conditional flight path
The launch is carried out from the launcher
max 4 km
HEIGHT
Maximum speed 220 km/h
500 m
min 60 m
30–60°
DISTANCE
The maximum flight range declared by the manufacturer is 2500 km
Shahed. Conditional flight path
The launch is carried out from the launcher
max 4 km
HEIGHT
Maximum speed 220 km/h
500 m
30°–60°
min 60 m
DISTANCE
The maximum flight range declared by the manufacturer is 2500 km
They follow a trajectory that has been memorized in advance. Sometimes they fly in circles, enter from one side, fly over, and then return again. That is, the operators are constantly trying to avoid our air defense systems by programming the route.
"Shaheds” are low-speed targets - up to 220 km/h. Most often, the Russians use them at night, when there is no visual reference to the target, but a radar reference. They target infrastructure and residential buildings.
To destroy them, the entire air defense arsenal is used: old Soviet-style missiles such as Buk-M1, S-300, S-125, as well as air defense systems of the Army, such as “Osa”. Western equipment is also used. This includes Crotale and Gepard. There may also be NASAMS and IRIS.
Recently, mobile groups with large-caliber machine guns have been used to repel their attacks and defeat UAVs, which have proven effective.
Recently, “Shaheds” with jet engines have appeared. Their speed reaches 600 km/h, and this creates certain problems for air defense.
This article was originally written in Ukrainian. It has been translated into English using AI tools such as DeepL, ChatGPT, and Grammarly. If you encounter an error that requires immediate attention, please inform us via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Your understanding and support are appreciated.
