How Putin rains down death on Ukraine: The thermonuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missile


How Putin rains down death on Ukraine: The thermonuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missile Russia is using to strike targets

  • The missile being used is believed to be the Kalibr, a long-range cruise missile developed by Russia as a rival to the American-made Tomahawk 
  • 30ft long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and packing a 500kg high-explosive or thermonuclear warhead, the Kalibr is Russia’s weapon of choice 
  • Developed in the 1990s and used in combat for the first time in 2015, the Kalibr can be launched by ships, submarines or ground troops 
  • Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target – like ballistic missiles – but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to guide itself to its target 


Russia has today launched all-out war on Ukraine, using cruise missiles to strike targets across the country including military bases, ammo dumps and airports.

The missile being used is believed to be the Kalibr, a long-range cruise missile developed by Russia as a rival to the American-made Tomahawk.

Thirty feet long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and packing a 500kg high-explosive or thermonuclear warhead, the Kalibr is Russia’s weapon of choice when it comes to launching precision strikes at range against enemy targets.

Developed in the 1990s and used in combat for the first time in 2015, the Kalibr can be launched by ships, submarines or ground troops – with jet-launched versions thought to be in production.

Nine metres long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and packing a 500kg high-explosive or thermonuclear warhead, the Kalibr is Russia's weapon of choice when it comes to launching precision strikes at range against enemy targets

Nine metres long, weighing up to 2.3 tons and packing a 500kg high-explosive or thermonuclear warhead, the Kalibr is Russia’s weapon of choice when it comes to launching precision strikes at range against enemy targets

Local residents filmed the Kalibr strike over Ukraine

Russian planes fly over Dnipro in Ukraine

Local residents filmed the Kalibr strike over Ukraine

The wreckage of a drone or cruise missile in Kiev, Ukraine, this morning

The wreckage of a drone or cruise missile in Kiev, Ukraine, this morning 

Like all cruise missiles, the Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target – like ballistic missiles – but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to guide itself to its target.

The low flight-path is designed to skirt under missile defence radar, making the Kalibr difficult to detect and shoot down.

Russia has also designed other systems into the Kalibr to make it even harder to stop.

The missile – which guides itself to its target using cameras and GPS – can also manoeuvre in flight, either to evade projectiles meant to shoot it down or to approach its target from unexpected angles.

The Chuhuiv military airfield in the outskirts of Kharkiv burns after airstrikes this morning

The Chuhuiv military airfield in the outskirts of Kharkiv burns after airstrikes this morning 

Odessa warehouse hit by a Russian missile after Putin declared war on Ukraine

Odessa warehouse hit by a Russian missile after Putin declared war on Ukraine 

Like all cruise missiles, the Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target - like ballistic missiles - but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to guide itself to its target

The Chuhuiv military airfield in Kharkiv burns

Like all cruise missiles, the Kalibr does not follow an arc from its launcher to its target – like ballistic missiles – but instead flies low and long, using a jet engine and small wings to guide itself to its target 

Cruising at Mach 0.8, it is also capable of accelerating to Mach 3 – three times the speed of sound – just before striking.

While the range of the missile varies depending on the variant, it has a theoretical maximum range of around 1,500 miles.

First used in combat in 2015, three Russian corvettes launched two dozen Kalibrs from the Caspian Sea through Iraqi and Iranian airspace at ISIS and Free Syrian Army targets in Syria, 1,000 miles away.

The missile was then used extensively throughout the war in Syria, where Russia backed the forces of dictator Basahr al-Assad, where it was launched by both ships and submarines – including ones submerged underwater.

Advertisement



Leave a Reply