Russia unleashes major aerial assault on Ukraine in 2025
The Russians launched their first massive attack toward Ukraine in 2025, reports the portal Defense Romania. The equipment of the Russian Federation was aimed at almost the entire country, we read. How large was the arsenal used by the Russians?
Early in the morning on January 15, 2025, Russian forces conducted an intensified missile attack on targets in Ukraine. The strike followed a nighttime operation in which kamikaze drones played a dominant role. The raids involved long-range bombers and other aircraft equipped with hypersonic and cruise missiles.
Russia used many aircraft
The Ukrainian air force reports that the Russian military launched air-to-ground missiles from at least seven fighter jets. The operation included machines such as strategic bombers Tu-95MS, long-range bombers Tu-22M3, and MiG-31K fighters capable of using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. This is the first such attack using the mentioned machines this year.
As stated on Defense Romania, available data suggests that Russian forces used several dozen missiles, including Ch-101, Ch-22, Kinzhal, Kalibr, and Iskander-K, as well as dozens of Geran-2 (Shahed-136) kamikaze drones.
Arsenal used by the Russians
The first of the missiles that the Russians used to shell Ukraine, the Ch-101, is a weapon equipped with two warheads, including one cluster warhead. This setup allows for attacks over a wider area compared to using a standard warhead. An important element of this missile is the Otblesk-U guidance module, which compares the recorded image during the flight with what was previously stored in the missile's memory. Thanks to this system, the accuracy of striking is only a few metres.
The Ch-22 missile, on the other hand, reaches 11 metres in length and weighs 5,000 kilograms, of which the warhead accounts for 960 kilograms, and it is capable of striking targets up to 500 kilometres away. During flight, it reaches speeds of about 3-4 Mach (approximately 4,900 km/h), making it difficult to intercept. It reaches the chosen target at this speed, causing destruction both due to the explosion of the warhead and the energy resulting from the momentum of the impact.
Kinzhal and Kalibr missiles fired towards Ukraine
The Kinzhal, on the other hand, is one of the most powerful Russian missiles. Its speed can reach up to 10 Mach, although more moderate estimates suggest around 8 Mach, which is nearly 9,800 km/h. With such parameters, it is considered one of the most dangerous weapons in the Russian arsenal.
The 3M14 Kalibr, on the other hand, are cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometres. They are slightly over 6 metres long and are equipped with a turbojet engine. Their characteristic feature is the ability to fly at very low altitudes, literally a few metres above the ground or water, allowing them to evade anti-aircraft defence systems. Despite this, they move at a cruising speed of about 950 km/h.
Iskander missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometres, which in itself is impressive, but the greatest challenge for air defence systems is their speed. These missiles ascend to an altitude of 50 kilometres, moving at hypersonic speeds between 6 and 7 Mach, or about 7,350 km/h to 8,600 km/h.
The recent attack also involved Iranian Shahed-136 drones, known in Russia as Geran-2, which are popularly used on the front lines. These kamikaze unmanned vehicles are about 3.3 metres long, and their delta wing configuration spans about 2.4 metres. Each of these drones weighs about 200 kilograms, with approximately 40 kilograms accounting for the warhead.
