Russia deploys MiG-31K equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missile in Baltic.

According to a short video published on Telegram, Russia seems to deploy hypersonic missile to Baltic.

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Screenhot of the video showing the MIG-31K (Picture source: Записки охотника)

The video shows the landing of a MiG-31K fighter-interceptor at the Chkalovsk air base near Kaliningrad, on February 7. The MiG-31K is the carrier of the Kinzhal hypersonic aviation missile system, which seems to appear on the video.

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ("dagger") is a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM). The Kinzhal entered service in December 2017 and is one of the six new Russian strategic weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 1 March 2018. It has a claimed range of more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi), Mach 10 speed, and an ability to perform evasive maneuvers at every stage of its flight. It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and can be launched from Tu-22M3 bombers or MiG-31K interceptors. Kinzhal missile is the airborne version of the Iskander tactical missile system.

MiG-31K aircraft equipped with Kinzhal cruise missiles (Picture source: Alexander Ryumin/TASS)

in June 2021  MiG-31K jets with Kinzhal were on duty only in the Southern Military District. A test squadron of ten MiG-31K was deployed there in December 2017. In early 2021, Central district Commander Alexander Lapin said the 712th fighter jet regiment in Kansk would be armed with Kinzhal by 2024. General Chief-of-Staff Valery Gerasimov said MiG-31K with Kinzhal was tested in the Arctic. The aircraft may be deployed in the Northern fleet and other districts.

However, the western direction was already a priority last year for the latest hypersonic complexes. Kinzhal will pose a major threat to the potential aggressor at western borders, as we reported in our article on that time.

“The test operation of Kinzhal has been ongoing for a long time. There is a squadron of MiG-31K with the air ballistic missile developed from the ground-based ballistic missile of Iskander,” expert Viktor Murakhovsky said. “The range of the missile fired by an aircraft comprises 2,000 kilometers, according to Defense Ministry data. Thus, Kinzhal is a major element of strategic non-nuclear deterrence. It can maneuver in flight to complicate interception. Officials said it is practically impossible for existing air and missile defense to intercept a maneuvering missile flying at a speed of Mach 10,” he said in June 2021.

A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ALBM being carried by a Mikoyan MiG-31K interceptor (Picture source: kremlin.ru)