Direct proof of use
The Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise reported preliminary evidence that Russia used a 3M22 Tsirkon missile in the February 7, 2024 attack on Kyiv. KNDISE director Oleksandr Ruvin said markings on parts and fragments, identified assemblies, and weapon-type features indicated 3M22 Tsirkon use.
A second Kyiv case followed on March 25, 2024. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Russia targeted Kyiv with two 3M22 Tsirkon missiles and that recovered fragments carried markings typical of the missile, with some parts matching fragments from the February attack.
Sources: Suspilne: KNDISE February 2024 Tsirkon identification, Ukrainska Pravda: March 2024 Kyiv Zircon wreckage
Documented strike pattern
Reuters reported on April 1, 2024 that Kyiv's military administration said Russia had used five Zircon missiles against the Ukrainian capital in the first three months of 2024. The same report noted that Vladimir Putin had confirmed combat use of Zircon missiles in his February 29, 2024 state-of-the-nation address without naming the target sites.
The weapon's documented role in the war is long-range strike against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure rather than its original anti-ship mission. The public evidence for 2024 use centers on Kyiv and recovered missile remnants, while later 2026 reporting describes heavier salvos as Russian missile attacks increased.
Sources: Reuters: Kyiv count of five Zircons in early 2024, Suspilne: KNDISE February 2024 Tsirkon identification, Ukrainska Pravda: March 2024 Kyiv Zircon wreckage
2026 salvo reporting
Le Monde reported that Russia fired eight Zircon cruise missiles in the June 2, 2026 attack on Ukraine, with Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat saying two simultaneous salvos of four missiles each were launched from Crimea and Kursk region and converged on Kyiv.
ArmyInform, citing the Ukrainian Air Force, reported that Russia launched six 3M22 Tsirkon anti-ship missiles from occupied Crimea during the June 15, 2026 combined attack, and that Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed five of them. Ukrainska Pravda reported later in June that Russia had recorded roughly 40 Zircon launches since the start of 2026.
Sources: Le Monde: June 2026 Kyiv Zircon salvo, ArmyInform: June 15 2026 six Zircons, Ukrainska Pravda: 2026 Zircon strike pattern
Air-defense context
Ukrainian air-defense officials described Tsirkon as interceptable only in a narrow terminal window when its speed falls from claimed hypersonic flight speeds. Interfax-Ukraine quoted Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Illia Yevlash saying Patriot and SAMP/T systems could engage the missile at that stage, while noting that more ballistic-missile-capable systems were needed.
Sources: Interfax-Ukraine: Air Force on Patriot and SAMP/T against Zircon
