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Ukrainian Air Force on Monday shared via its Facebook page photos showing what appears to be the relatively intact remains of a downed Russian Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile.
The image purportedly shows a few features of the missile that could be cause for worry for Ukraine, the Drive reported.
Some of the features include a camera for its Otblesk-U electro-optical guidance system or some kind of countermeasures system.
According to the Facebook post, authorities said that the Kh-101 was shot down by Ukraine’s forces in the country’s central Vinnytsia region. On Monday, 47 cruise missiles were destroyed.
Despite being developed in the 1980s under the Soviet Union, the Kh-101 has missiles that are powered by small turbofan engines and have a reported maximum range of roughly 2,000 miles.
The Kh-101 has been extensively used in the conflict in Ukraine, which began in February.
The images show the stealthy shape of the Kh-101’s central body. In the photo, the missile’s pop-out wings are seen still attached to its central body; the engine, however, was likely missing.
Satellite or inertial navigation, or both, is used by the Kh-101 to be guided to its target. It also has a radar-based terrain contour matching (TERCOM) capability, which lets the missile hit its target by flying at a low altitude. This makes it harder to be spotted by enemies.
Both Ukraine and Russia are trying to strengthen their military and attack capabilities as the one-year anniversary of the invasion nears.
Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force of Ukraine, said on air with the La Chaîne Info French TV channel and in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda that the country needs up to 200 multipurpose aircraft to protect the sky.
“In addition, we are behind when it comes to technologies. Therefore, the need is serious. We need to create up to five tactical aircraft brigades with a single type of Western-type multipurpose aircraft. It is now being determined what type it will be… Obviously, we cannot receive all of them at once, but gradually transitioning to a new multipurpose jet is a demand of time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pravda reported that an air-raid siren was heard again in all Ukrainian oblasts Tuesday, hinting at the possibility of the danger of missile strikes. It was later found that the siren was due to takeoff of a MiG-31 fighter jet in Russia.
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