The United States cannot independently confirm or refute a Russian claim over the weekend that it fired hypersonic missiles at a Ukrainian target, but the use of such a weapon makes little sense from a military perspective and could be meant to send a message, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday.
Russia said on Saturday it had used hypersonic Kinzhal missiles to destroy a large weapons depot in Ukraine's western Ivano-Frankivsk region."It's a bit of a head-scratcher, to be honest with you, because it's not exactly clear why -- if it's true - why would you need a hypersonic missile fired from not that far away to hit a building," the U.S. official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Moscow prides itself on its advanced weaponry, and President Vladimir Putin said in December that Russia was the global leader in hypersonic missiles, whose speed, maneuverability and altitude make them difficult to track and intercept. Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops have died, and Russia's artillery-heavy army has suffered large losses in tanks and armor. Five Russian generals have already been killed, a loss of senior commanders in such a short period almost unheard of in modern warfare.
"They're failing to launch or they're failing to hit the targets or they're failing to explode on contact," the official said.
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