Russia Claims First Launch of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal from Su-34, Later Denied by MoD

Jan 13, 2025, 10:25 AM

The Russian military has reportedly used the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile for the first time from a Su-34 fighter-bomber in the Special Military Operation (SMO) zone. Previously, the Kinzhal missile was only launched from the MiG-31K and MiG-31I(K) aircraft. The launch from the Su-34, which offers longer flight range and reduced detectability compared to the MiG-31K, marks a significant development in the deployment of the Kinzhal system. Russia has several times more Su-34 fighters than MiG-31Ks. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense's newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, later denied the information about the first use of the Kinzhal from the Su-34.