Russia used hypersonic Kinzhal missiles on Odessa for the first time: how this changes the tactics of war.

According to ТСН: The attack on Odessa on the night of December 13 was yet another indication of how Russia uses modern means of destruction.

Types of missiles used by Russia

According to Ivan Kyrychevskyi, a serviceman of the 413th regiment 'Raid' and a Defense Express weapons expert, this involves not only the Iskander ballistic missiles, which are regularly used against the city and port infrastructure, but also the supersonic anti-ship missiles Oniks.

The expert noted that during the last attack, Russia used hypersonic Kinzhal missiles for the first time. These missiles travel on a ballistic trajectory, making interception significantly more difficult.

According to Kyrychevskyi, Kinzhal missiles only become vulnerable in the final phase of flight, when their speed decreases from approximately 5 to 4 Mach. It is theoretically possible for Patriot systems to intercept them at this moment, but the key question is the availability of missiles for these systems.

Tactics of Russian attacks

The military expert emphasized that the strike on Odessa confirmed a new effective tactic of Russian forces. First, the enemy launches hundreds of drones to exhaust Ukrainian air defense, and then strikes one city with missiles.

In his opinion, Russia is consciously abandoning dispersed attacks across the country, focusing its efforts on individual populated areas.

Kyrychevskyi stressed that currently there are virtually no countries in the world capable of repelling such concentrated attacks.

He also noted that even states with powerful air defense systems physically do not have enough systems to protect against such massive strikes, which poses serious challenges to Ukraine's security.

Modifications of kamikaze drones

It should be noted that during recent massive attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukraine, unusual behavior was observed from some Shahed kamikaze drones, which circled in the sky for a long time. Serhii 'Flash' Beskrestnov explained that this is not due to interference from electronic warfare or management failures. This refers to a special modification of the Shahed-relay, which functions as a part of the MESH network.

Such drones fly deep into Ukraine to relay control signals from Russian territory, providing stable communication for other strike devices moving inland. This allows relays to remain airborne for extended periods, creating the illusion of chaotic flights.

Beskrestnov emphasizes: these drones should be priority targets for air defense, as their presence significantly increases the effectiveness of subsequent waves of Shahed.

In this context, it is important to understand that such new Russian tactics require continuous adaptation of Ukraine's defensive strategies. The use of cutting-edge technologies, such as hypersonic missiles and relay drones, presents additional challenges but also opens up opportunities to enhance Ukrainian air defense. In light of further developments, Ukraine must find ways to reduce the effectiveness of such attacks to ensure the safety of its cities and population.