Cyber attack cripples Shaykovka air base, exposes missile threat
The CyberBoroshno Group published satellite images of the attack on the Shaykovka air base conducted on March 31, 2025. We present the damages and explain why Raduga Kh-22 missiles are so dangerous.
The images show strikes on the technical area (marked in red) used for servicing and preparing missiles before launch. One of the facilities was completely destroyed, and the other was damaged by fragments.
In contrast, the fueling infrastructure location is marked in yellow, which disappeared after the attack. It is worth noting that Raduga Kh-22 missiles use liquid rocket fuel, which is very corrosive, so they cannot be stored fueled and must be fueled just before launch. Additionally, in the second image, the targeted storage of Raduga Kh-22 missiles is marked in red, while the destroyed area is marked in yellow.
The result of the attack was the incapacitation of the airport's infrastructure and the destruction of several missiles, which could have disrupted Russia's plans for another act of terror against the civilian population.
Tu-22M3 and Raduga Kh-22 missiles - one of the nightmares of Ukrainian defence
Raduga Kh-22 missiles are supersonic cruise missiles designed during the USSR era to sink ships like aircraft carriers. A key aspect of these missiles is their very high speed, reaching Mach 3 (about 1000 m/s). This, combined with the capability to fly at an altitude of nearly 40 metres, makes them a weapon very difficult to defend against.
Especially in the absence of aircraft like AWACS, because ground-based radars have a range limited to about 40 kilometres due to the radar horizon. This flight characteristic means that the operators of anti-aircraft systems have very limited time to respond.
Moreover, not all missile systems are capable of intercepting the Kh-22, and in practice, the rare Patriot and SAMP/T batteries, along with the remaining in-use S-300 systems in Ukraine, are needed to combat them.
The Kh-22 missiles are carried by strategic bombers Tu‑22M because they weigh nearly six tonnes, with one tonne accounting for the conventional warhead, but there were also variants with a thermonuclear warhead. Missile guidance included inertial navigation, which was eventually complemented by a terrain contour matching system, and in the final phase of the flight, precision is ensured by an active radar seeker.
