The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is a Russian air-launched ballistic missile carried operationally by modified MiG-31K aircraft. CSIS lists a 1,500-2,000 km range and a 480 kg conventional or nuclear payload, while IISS identifies the 9-S-7760/RS-AS-24a Killjoy as a Kinzhal designation used by Russia in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Used by Russian forces for long-range air-launched ballistic missile strikes in Ukraine. IISS describes several Kinzhal launches from MiG-31K aircraft, including Russia's first reported use against a depot near Deliatyn in March 2022; Ukrainian reporting later documented Patriot intercept claims and larger Kinzhal salvos.
Role detailsThe Russia-Ukraine War record is built from direct strike and intercept reporting rather than general missile specifications. Claims below are attributed to the reporting source and kept separate from performance claims.
| Date | Reported event | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | BBC reported Russia's claim that it used Kinzhal against a Ukrainian munitions depot near Deliatyn. | This is the earliest source-backed combat-use marker in the record. |
| May 2023 | AP reported Ukraine's claim that a Patriot system shot down a Kinzhal-type missile over the Kyiv region. | The event anchors Kinzhal in the Ukraine-war air-defense contest, not only the Russian strike role. |
| January 2024 | Associated Press reported Ukrainian statements that Russia launched 10 Kinzhal missiles during attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv. | The salvo reporting shows continued Russian use after the first 2022 claim. |
Source labels: Russia Claims First Use of Hypersonic Kinzhal Missile in Ukraine; AP: Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile with US Patriot; Russian Missiles Hit Ukrainian Cities, Killing 5 and Injuring at Least 130, Kyiv Officials Say.
The Kinzhal's documented operational identity is tied to the modified MiG-31K carrier aircraft that launches it.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Modified MiG-31K carrier aircraft | CSIS describes the Kinzhal as based on a modified MiG-31 fighter, and IISS identifies Ukraine-war Kinzhal employment from MiG-31K Foxhound-D aircraft. Sources: Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, Russia's War in Ukraine: Ballistic and Cruise Missile Trajectories |
Kinzhal reporting uses several overlapping names. The catalog title keeps the common Kh-47M2 form, while the table separates the designation, launch aircraft, and reported lineage context that readers are likely to encounter in military and news sources.
| Topic | Sourced context | Reader note |
|---|---|---|
| Designations | IISS identifies the missile as 9-S-7760 Kinzhal and RS-AS-24a Killjoy. | AS-24 Killjoy is the NATO-style reporting name used in many English-language sources. |
| Carrier aircraft | CSIS and IISS tie documented operation to modified MiG-31K aircraft. | The MiG-31K link is the supported catalog relationship on this page. |
| Missile family | CSIS describes the missile as likely derived from the Iskander-M family. | This explains the air-launched ballistic profile without treating Kinzhal as a ground-launched Iskander variant. |
| Reported bomber context | CSIS notes a 2018 TASS report that Tu-22M3 carriage would extend range beyond 3,000 km. | The record does not add Tu-22M as a launch-aircraft relationship because the strongest conflict-use sourcing centers on MiG-31K launches. |
Source labels: Kh-47M2 Kinzhal; Russia's War in Ukraine: Ballistic and Cruise Missile Trajectories.
CSIS lists the Kinzhal as in service from 2017, reflecting its move from development into operational Russian use.
Sources: Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
Putin publicly unveiled the Kinzhal in his March 2018 address to the Federal Assembly as one of Russia's new strategic weapons.
Sources: Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
BBC reported Russia's claim that it used a Kinzhal missile against a Ukrainian munitions depot near Deliatyn.
Sources: Russia Claims First Use of Hypersonic Kinzhal Missile in Ukraine
AP reported Ukraine's claim that a Patriot air-defense system shot down a Kinzhal-type missile over the Kyiv region during the night attack on May 4.
Sources: AP: Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile with US Patriot
AP reported Ukrainian officials saying Russia launched 10 Kinzhal missiles in a January 2024 attack on Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Sources: Russian Missiles Hit Ukrainian Cities, Killing 5 and Injuring at Least 130, Kyiv Officials Say
