Russia Used the Supersonic Kh-32 Missile in an Attack on Kyiv. What Is It?

For the first time, Russia has used strategic aviation en masse to strike Kyiv with Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles. Iskander and Zircon missiles were also employed, along with nearly 400 drones of various types.

The most telling development was the use of Kh-32 missiles, which Russia had previously deployed against other regions of Ukraine. This may indicate Moscow’s intent to carry out maximally large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in an effort to disable it. To achieve this, Russia is launching every type of missile at its disposal.

The “aircraft carrier killer”

The Kh-32 is a Russian long-range, air-launched supersonic cruise missile developed as a deep modernization of the Soviet-era Kh-22. It was designed as an anti-ship weapon, with aircraft carriers and large warships as its primary targets—hence the nickname. However, in the war against Ukraine, Russia has used it to strike ground targets, including civilian infrastructure.

Work on modernizing the Kh-22 began in the late 1980s in the Soviet Union. The goal was to address a key flaw of the original missile—its extremely poor accuracy. Russia has repeatedly used the Kh-22 against Ukraine, with deviations from the intended target reaching hundreds of meters. Another requirement for the newer version was an increased range.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the project was effectively frozen and only revived in Russia in the 2000s. The Kh-32 was first publicly shown in 2016, the same year it was formally adopted into service.

• Range: up to 1,000 km (claimed)

• Speed: Mach 4–5

• Guidance system: inertial navigation plus an active radar seeker

• Warhead: reduced compared to the Kh-22 (exact weight undisclosed)

The Kh-22 has a range of roughly 500–600 km (310-370 miles). The increased range of the Kh-32 was reportedly achieved by reducing the warhead size. However, whether the Kh-32 can actually fly 1,000 km (621 miles) remains unknown, as there is no direct confirmation of this claim.

The first known combat use of the Kh-32 occurred in 2022 during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The missile’s main limitation is its launch platform. The Kh-32 is launched from the Tu-22M3M strategic bomber, a modernized version of the Tu-22M3. Russia has only a few of these aircraft; prior to 2022, just four were known to exist. Missile production itself is also limited.

Mass attacks on infrastructure

In recent months, Russia has carried out large-scale strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure using ballistic and cruise missiles. As a result, Ukrainian cities have been left without electricity, water, and heating during temperatures as low as –20°C (–4°F). The primary targets of these attacks are energy facilities.

One of Ukraine’s main challenges is the availability of missiles for air defense systems. Until recently, supplies were insufficient, and only in mid-January did the United States deliver the necessary weaponry. During one of the latest attacks, Ukraine spent an estimated $80 million worth of interceptor missiles to defend its cities. In the January 23 attack, Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down 15 cruise and ballistic missiles out of more than 20 launched.

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