Russia-Ukraine War

Moscow's Claim About Firing Hypersonic Missiles Could Be More Hype, Experts Say

"It’s a bit of a head-scratcher to be honest with you," a Pentagon official said

Russia's MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jets carrying hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles
YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia claims it destroyed a Ukrainian ammunitions depot with hypersonic missiles capable of flying five to 25 times the speed of sound.

If confirmed, it would mark a dramatic escalation of Russia's brutal campaign to crush the pro-Western government in Kyiv and drag the country back into Moscow’s orbit.

But so far, Pentagon officials and military experts say, what Russia has unleashed appears to be hypersonic hype about a potentially devastating weapon.

“It’s a bit of a head-scratcher to be honest with you,” a Pentagon official told NBC News on Monday. “If it’s true, why would you need a hypersonic missile fired from not that far away to hit a building?”

Military experts said the only reason Russian President Vladimir Putin would resort to using this kind of weaponry against the outgunned Ukrainians at this point would be to score propaganda points.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here

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