No Kinzhal hypersonic missile carriers in Crimea – Ukrainian Air Force

There are no Russian fighter jets capable of carrying the Kinzhal air-to-ground hypersonic missiles in temporarily occupied Crimea.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "There are several MiG-31s in Crimea, but of the BM modification. They cannot carry Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles (the MiG-31Ks can be armed with them – ed.). These aircraft are designed to deliver strikes with various other aerial weapons.

It seems there is no particular reason to deploy the MiG-31Ks to the Belbek airfield in the temporarily occupied [city of] Sevastopol [Russian-occupied Crimea]."

Details: At the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force spokesman stressed once again that the MiG-31Ks have no trouble reaching the point of launching missiles from any air base.

Fighter jets may fly from other airfields to carry out patrols or strikes. The only difference is the time of approach.

Background: MiG-31K take-offs have recently been taking place from the Russian airfields of Savasleyka and Mozdok.

Previously: On 18 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian warplanes equipped with Kinzhal missiles would regularly patrol the airspace over the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian Air Force noted that Putin's latest threats may seek to escalate tensions, but they do not fundamentally change anything for the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

Analysts later reported that satellite imagery revealed that Russia had deployed four MiG-31 fighter jets (modification was not specified - ed.) at the Belbek airfield in temporarily occupied Sevastopol.

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