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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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Moscow's deployment of a new cruise missile in Ukraine has raised concerns that Vladimir Putin has access to a weapon "more dangerous" than the faster "Dagger" hypersonic ballistic missile that the Russian president had previously boasted about.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Friday that Russia is producing and deploying a new subsonic cruise missile, dubbed the Kh-69, intended to continue its bombarding of Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The first mention of their use was in February although there were isolated cases last year.
The Washington D.C. think tank said the air-to-surface subsonic missile had been used in strikes on Thursday which destroyed the transformer, turbines and generators of the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Kyiv Oblast.
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While not as fast as the hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile Kh-47M2 Kinzhal— the Russian word for "dagger"—Ukrainian publication Defense Express reported that the Kh-69 "in terms of its consequences for Ukrainians, may be more dangerous."
Despite being subsonic and having a smaller warhead than the Kh-47M2, which was among six hypersonic weapons unveiled by Putin in 2018, "the use of the Kh-69 missile may be considered a worse option for Ukraine," the publication said.
Russian forces can launch the Kh-69 from 240 miles away from their targets. This exceeds a previous estimated range of 190 miles and also the 120-mile range of the most recent Kh-59MK2 variant, the ISW said.
As well as their expanded range, the Kh-69 can also reportedly be launched from Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 tactical aircraft which are more common than the Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers and MiG-31K interceptors usually used in missile strikes.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Major Ilya Yevlash said the Kh-69 was an improved version of the Kh-59 cruise missile, which Moscow has used to target Ukrainian infrastructure over the last few weeks.
However, he said that Russia's ability to manufacture the missiles depends on whether they can source critical components and it was unlikely Moscow could produce them much more quickly than its other domestically produced missiles.
He said that that Ukrainian forces are still developing methods to counter the Kh-69s but that Patriot air defense systems would likely be able to intercept them.
Meanwhile, the German Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that it would supply another Patriot battery system to "further strengthen" Ukraine's air defenses in the wake of recent Russian air strikes.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.
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