Kinzhal Missile Consists of 90% Iskander-M Components — DIU

The Kinzhal missile consists of approximately 90% of the same or very similar structural components and systems as the 9M723 missile of the Iskander-M system.

This was reported by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (DIU).

The Russian aeroballistic 9-S-7760 missile, also known as the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, is a single-stage solid-fuel missile with an integrated warhead.

The main distinguishing features of the Kinzhal include a tail aerodynamic fairing that separates after engine ignition, a radar homing seeker and an active jamming station, as well as the S-200 decoy launch system.

“In the ‘Iskander,’ an active radar homing seeker currently exists only on paper, and its use during strikes on Ukrainian territory has not been documented,” the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) reported.

The Kinzhal has two types of warheads: a penetrating high-explosive warhead, housed in a thick-walled metal casing designed to penetrate floors, concrete, and other fortified structures, and a specialized nuclear warhead.

Russia is currently working on a modification of the missile with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.

“Such changes may be directly related to problems with the missile’s guidance accuracy, since high precision is particularly important for the penetrating warhead,” the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported.

That is precisely why, in 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense significantly reduced the order volume for these missiles, redirecting production capacity, components, and raw materials on the production of 9M723 ballistic missiles for the Iskander-M system. The second reason for the shift in priorities is the limited number of Kinzhal carriers: the MiG-31I and MiG-31K interceptor fighters, which the Russian aviation industry does not currently produce.

58 Russian enterprises are involved in the production of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles.

“It is telling that 22 of them are still not subject to sanctions from any of the countries in the sanctions coalition,” the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported.

In September, it became known that Russia failed to achieve import substitution in the production of Kinzhal missiles and returned to using American processors.