Missile menace: Russian 3M14 Kalibr strikes terror in Ukraine

Russians continuously conduct missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, with one of the primary means being the 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles. The Russians launched these from the Black Sea, and they became a common sight for local fishermen. Here is what they can do.

An interesting video appeared online, made by fishermen during a fishing trip in the Black Sea, showing a pair of 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles flying at low altitude towards Ukraine.

The 3M14 Kalibr missiles, along with the Kh-101 missiles launched from aeroplanes, constitute a significant part of the Russian missile attacks on cities, including Kyiv. They are also often supplemented by the less numerous ballistic missiles, which significantly complicates the work of Ukrainian air defence, as it must simultaneously combat two types of threats with drastically different characteristics.

The 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles can reach up to approximately 2,500 kilometres and were initially adapted for launching from surface ships and submarines; however, over time, a land variant launched from the Iskander system also appeared.

The 3M14 Kalibr, measuring just over 6 metres in length, is structurally a winged missile equipped with a turbojet engine. They are adapted to fly at an altitude of a few metres above the ground or water surface, which is clearly visible in the video. This is a crucial aspect in evading air defences considering their low cruising speed of about Mach 0.8 (950 km/h).

The missiles contain a conventional warhead weighing about 450 kilograms, but they can also be capable of carrying a thermonuclear warhead. The precise delivery to the target is ensured by a guidance system based on inertial and satellite navigation, providing accuracy in the range of a few to several metres if the satellite signal is not jammed.