Russia claims it used hypersonic missile to strike Ukraine munitions warehouse
Russian Defense Ministry says it fired a nuclear-capable missile that has never been used before in combat
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russia on Saturday said it used a hypersonic Kinzhal missile to strike a Ukrainian munitions warehouse in the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk.
The Kinzhal, which translates to "dagger," is a nuclear-capable missile that has never been used before in combat, and also has the ability to travel at 10 times the speed of sound and a range of roughly 1,250 miles.
FILE - An airman checks a Russian Air Force MiG-31 fighter jet prior a flight with Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a drill in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image taken from video released February 19, 2022. (Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS)
RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov said the missile was used Friday to hit an underground warehouse.
Fox News Digital has not independently verified the use of the hypersonic cruise missiles that would have been shot from a MiG-31K warplane.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for the U.S. and NATO to instate a no-fly zone over Ukraine to help stop the more than 1,080 missiles that have been levied from Russian forces.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Though U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said this week that not only does a no-fly zone have the potential to escalate the war beyond Ukraine’s borders, but it would not necessarily prove all that effective.
Zelenskyy repeated his pleas this week after a theater in Mariupol housing roughly a thousand men, women and children was targeted by Russian shelling.
Russia has routinely used long-range missiles to hit Ukrainian military and civilian targets, but Austin argued that some strikes have come from within Russian borders, making a no-fly zone ineffective.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being launched from an air field during military drills. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
RUSSIANS HIT ARMY BARRACKS IN MYKOLAIV IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE, LEAVING DOZENS DEAD: REPORTS
It is unclear where the hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were fired from.
Security officials have said the war in Ukraine has largely been fought by ground-based munitions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russian forces have fired at eight cities and towns in the eastern Donetsk region, using aviation, rocket and heavy artillery over the last 24-hours.
Ukraine's National Police said Saturday that at least 37 residential and infrastructure buildings were damaged with dozens of reported causalities.
Konashenkov on Saturday also said that Russian forces had destroyed military radio and reconnaissance centers near Odessa – a port city in the south of the country – using Bastion coastal missile system, first reported Reuters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Bastion missile is launched from a vehicle and has the capability to travel at supersonic speeds using satellite and radar technologies to locate its target – making it difficult to defend against.
In this image taken from footage provided by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service, a Ukrainian soldiers use a launcher with US Javelin missiles during military exercises in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the largest conflict that Europe has seen since World War II. (Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The U.S. has so far refused to provide fighter jets to Ukraine and instead said this week that it will provide another $1 billion in defensive aid.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senior defense officials have said that despite Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine, its forces remain largely stalled across the country.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.