☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Did Ukraine shoot down a barrage of Russian hypersonic missiles?

May 16, 2023
Carlos Santamaria
A firefighter works at a site of a vehicle parking area hit by Russian missiles in Kyiv.
A firefighter works at a site of a vehicle parking area hit by Russian missiles in Kyiv.
Pavlo Petrov/Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv/Handout via REUTERS

Ukraine's military on Tuesday announced it had thwarted a Russian missile attack on the capital, Kyiv, shooting down 18 projectiles that were targeting the city. The Russians have stepped up airstrikes in recent weeks in anticipation of Ukraine's much-awaited spring counteroffensive.

But what's special this time is that among the downed volleys were six Kinzhal (dagger) hypersonic missiles, which travel at 10 times the speed of sound and can theoretically escape conventional air defenses. (Military nerds disagree on whether the Kinzhals are actually hypersonic or just have the capacity to go that fast.)

Read our primer on hypersonic weapons here.

Earlier this month, Ukraine bragged about destroying a single Kinzhal with a Patriot air defense system supplied by NATO. This was denied by the Kremlin, which has a penchant for hyping its military capabilities and showing off its missile muscle when things are not going well on the battlefield.

Still, if true, shooting down not one but six hypersonic missiles all at once would demonstrate that the Patriots are doing their job — and that Ukraine can now effectively defend itself against one of Russia's "superweapons."

More from GZERO Media

IMF and World Bank close annual meetings with urgent call for fragile economies

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks to the media during an International Monetary and Financial Committee press briefing on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters

At the plenary session concluding the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s 2024 Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, on Friday, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva made clear there was no time to rest. Although wealthy countries seem likely to achieve the much-vaunted “soft landing” — reducing inflation without a recession — geopolitical, climactic, and fiscal risks are putting great strain on the world’s most vulnerable economies.

Trump rallies in NYC, Harris hits Philly in star-powered final push

Supporters attend a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., on Oct. 27, 2024.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

With the US election just nine days away, it’s crunch time for the presidential campaigns. Republican candidate Donald Trump headlined a rally Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in New York, a state that last backed a Republican in 1984. Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, was in Pennsylvania, visiting a barbershop and a Puerto Rican restaurant

Japan’s ruling coalition loses majority

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is pictured during a media interview at the headquarters of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Oct. 27, 2024.

Kyodo via Reuters Connect

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito lost their parliamentary majority on Sunday in an election dominated by economic and ethical issues.

Is the Georgian Dream the West’s nightmare?

Supporters of the Georgian Dream party wave Georgian and party flags from cars after the announcement of poll results in parliamentary elections, in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Oct. 26, 2024.
REUTERS/Zurab Javakhadze

Opposition parties in the country of Georgia are accusing the incumbent Georgian Dream of stealing Saturday’s election, calling the results “falsified” and a “constitutional coup.”

The biodiversity-shaped piece in the climate crisis puzzle: How to solve it

Mastercard

The clock is ticking on efforts to help halt and reverse biodiversity loss, but there’s still time to help support the animals, plants, and ecosystems that are all necessary for a healthy planet. In order to protect biodiversity — every living organism and ecosystem from microbes to mangroves — citizens, companies, and countries all need to do their part. That’s why the Mastercard-led Priceless Planet Coalition is on a mission to restore 100 million trees and regenerate biodiversity-rich forests. Read more about the Coalition's approach and progress.

Hot topics at the IMF-World Bank meetings

- YouTube

youtu.be

Delegates at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings have been giving rosy outlooks to the press while the cameras are rolling, but GZERO Senior Writer Matthew Kendrick heard a different story in private settings. He told Tony Maciulis that the global outlook depends heavily on US policy continuity — which is highly unlikely under a second Trump administration — and successful efforts in China to revive its own floundering economy.

Can we achieve gender equality by 2030?

- YouTube

youtu.be

This week World Bank announced a bold initiative to bridge the gender divide by creating more economic opportunity, broadening female leadership, and reducing gender-based violence in the next 5 years as 2030 approaches.

Can the IMF change to help more women?

Matthew Kendrick

When a country hits rock bottom financially, the International Monetary Fund is meant to step in with funds to stabilize the economy without damaging its society — or the gender gap. But studies show that these programs often push women out of work at a disproportionate rate to men as the economy contracts. Matthew Kendrick reports from the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings on a push to build more equitable programs.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2020 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.