Poland on high alert as Russian missile threat escalates
The Operational Command of the Armed Forces has stated that fighter jets in Poland have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence systems have reached the highest state of readiness. This is in response to Russia's extensive attack on Ukraine, which included the launch of the Russian MiG-31K fighter jet.
"Attention, due to another offensive by the Russian Federation, deploying cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles against targets, including those in western Ukraine, military aviation operations have commenced in our airspace," the Operational Command of the Armed Forces announced on Friday morning.
The aircraft causing alarm in Ukraine
Media reports indicate that Russian forces have deployed a substantial number of missiles. Moreover, the Russian Federation scrambled a MiG-31K fighter jet. The mere take-off of one such aircraft from a Russian airbase triggers alarm in the defenders' territory. These concerns are justified, as the MiG-31K is capable of carrying Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles with a range of about 2,000 kilometres.
Kinzhal missiles
Despite the combat effectiveness of the Kinzhal missiles being questioned since the onset of the war, they still present a significant challenge to Ukraine's air defence. The Kinzhal is approximately 7 metres in length and weighs about 4,500 kilogrammes, with its speed potentially reaching up to 10 Mach, although more realistic estimates suggest 8 Mach, or about 9,800 kilometres per hour. This makes the missile one of the most formidable weapons in the current Russian arsenal.
It's noteworthy that the Russians deploy Kinzhals regularly, prompting alarms in Ukraine each time. The exact number of these missiles in the Russian Federation's stockpile is unclear, but as of September 2024, estimates (reported by "Forbes" and confirmed by Ukrainian intelligence) suggest that Moscow had around 55 such missiles available. The monthly production is estimated at 2 to 6 units.
