Russia's missile misstep: Failed strike prompts new attacks
On Thursday, February 6, the Russians attempted to strike Ukraine with an Oresnik missile, but according to media reports, the attack was unsuccessful. However, the strike was postponed, resulting in missile attacks on Ukraine (Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih) with Iskander-M rockets and numerous Shahed drones.
The attempt to attack Kyiv on February 6, according to media, did not go as planned by the Russians. Western and Ukrainian sources reported at the time that the Russian Federation had launched an Oreshnik missile, which exploded shortly after launch—still on Russian territory.
The Russian Federation army struck Kyiv
Despite this setback, the Russians did not relent and successfully struck Kyiv during a subsequent attack. As reported by the Ukrainian agency Unian, in the attack carried out overnight from February 11 to February 12, ballistic missiles Iskander-M and 123 Shahed drones were used. The press service of the Ukrainian Air Force reported that the aggressor launched six missiles from the Bryansk region and one from Crimea. Ukrainians shot down six out of the seven missiles.
It should be noted that the Iskander-M used in the recent attack is a completely different weapon from the Oreshnik, which the Russians had previously aimed at Kyiv. The latter system is most likely based on the RS-26 system, and its initial launch weight can reach up to 50,000 kilograms. The range of the Oreshnik is estimated at 6,000 kilometres, while the standard combat equipment is expected to consist of four warheads, each with a yield of 0.3 megatons.
Russia used Iskanders
Meanwhile, the Iskander-M system launcher fires missiles with a payload weighing up to 5,000 kilograms. These missiles are over 7 metres long with a diameter of just under 1 metre. After launch, they are capable of reaching hypersonic speeds—over 8,000 km/h. Due to such high speed, the Iskander-M is a weapon that is difficult to defend against; however, as demonstrated in the military operations conducted in Ukraine, it is not impossible.
The high precision of the Iskander-M system missiles is also significant. This powerful ammunition hits the designated target with high accuracy. Accuracy, expressed in terms of CEP, is about 30 metres for this weapon.
