---
title: "GUR Reveals the Internal Specs of the 'Zircon': Warhead Lighter Than the 'Bandirol', Speed Below the Claimed 9 Mach"
description: "Ukraine's GUR published a technical breakdown of the 3M22 'Zircon' missile: the warhead weighs only 120 kg, and the recorded speed is 6.8 Mach instead of the 9 claimed by Russia. Intelligence also revealed the manufacturer facilities and the foreign equipment they use."
date: 2026-08-31T08:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gur-reveals-zircon-missile-specs-warhead-and-speed
tags: [zircon-missile, ukraine-russia-war, gur-intelligence, ballistic-missile, air-defense, black-sea-fleet, bastion-m, hypersonic-weapons]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# GUR Reveals the Internal Specs of the 'Zircon': Warhead Lighter Than the 'Bandirol', Speed Below the Claimed 9 Mach

![Launch of the Cirkon naval hypersonic missile from a ship deck: revealed warhead weight and real speed characteristics](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/31/gur-raskryl-harakteristiki-rakety-cirkon-boevaya-chast-i-skorost/gur-raskryl-harakteristiki-rakety-cirkon-boevaya-chast-i-skorost-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- GUR revealed that the 3M22 'Zircon' warhead weighs about 120 kg — less than the 'Bandirol' cruise missile (150 kg)
- The recorded maximum speed of the missile is 6.8 Mach, not the 9 Mach claimed by Russia
- The missile was originally designed for ships but was adapted for the 'Bastion-M' shore complexes due to fleet problems in the Black Sea
- The missile's tail section is made of titanium, and the onboard computing complex 'Baget-83' is typical of all Russian ballistic missiles
- The publication coincided with the Air Force spokesperson's statement about a shortage of air defense missiles and discussions on strengthening air defense for the autumn–winter period

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces, through the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), published a detailed technical breakdown of the 3M22 ballistic missile of the 'Zircon' system — the most expensive strike weapon in the Russian Federation's arsenal. According to intelligence data, not only the missile's design features have been disclosed, but also the facilities involved in its production and the foreign equipment they use. The publication, first reported by RBC-Ukraine, coincides with Russia's active use of new ballistic systems against Ukrainian cities and a growing shortage of air defense assets on the eve of the autumn–winter period.

### Shipborne Weapon Adapted for Shore Use

According to GUR data, the 'M' index in the 3M22 designation indicates the missile's original purpose — a ship-targeting weapon. The system was developed for nuclear submarines and Project 22350 frigates equipped with the 3S14 universal complex weapon system (UKSK). However, during the Russian–Ukrainian war, facing serious limitations in the use of its fleet in the Black Sea, Russia was forced to adapt the 3M22 missiles for launch from the 'Bastion-M' shore-based missile complexes. In the assessment of Ukrainian analysts, this decision indicates that the maritime component of Russia's strategic offensive has in fact not been realized, and the expensive weapon is being reprofiled for land-based launchers.

### Warhead and Aerodynamics: Titanium Tail and Small Charge

One of the most telling facts disclosed by the GUR is the weight of the 3M22 warhead — around 120 kg. For a missile that the Kremlin positions as the country's most expensive strike weapon, this is an extremely modest figure. For comparison: the short-range cruise missile 'Bandirol' carries a 150 kg warhead, meaning it outperforms the 'Zircon' in destructive potential at a substantially lower cost. The missile's tail section houses electrohydraulic control actuators and aerodynamic control surfaces, which serve as the primary control surfaces. In the transport position the control surfaces are folded, and after exiting the container they deploy. The entire tail section of the missile is made of titanium — a material that provides strength under supersonic loads but significantly increases the cost of the product.

### Propulsion and Guidance System

After the missile exits the ship's container or the shore-based 'Bastion-M' complex, a solid-fuel booster engine is ignited, which lifts the weapon to the required altitude and speed. After it separates, the main solid-fuel cruise engine engages. The initial alignment of the missile onto the aiming point's course is handled by the orientation and stabilization system engines, located on the protective fairing, which is subsequently jettisoned. The guidance system is combined: during the cruise phase of flight the missile is guided by an inertial navigation system, while in the final stage it activates an active radar homing seeker. The onboard digital computing complex 'Baget-83', installed on the missile, is typical of all Russian ballistic missiles and is not a unique development.

### Contradictory Data

The key discrepancy between Russian statements and Ukrainian intelligence data concerns the maximum flight speed. Open Russian sources and official statements claim that at certain stages of flight the 'Zircon' can reach a speed of 9 Mach. However, according to GUR data, the recorded maximum flight speed of the 3M22 missile does not exceed 6.8 Mach, and this figure is not sustained throughout the entire flight. Thus, the missile's actual aerodynamic characteristics are significantly lower than advertised, and the claimed 'hypersonic' status — meaning sustained flight at speeds above 5 Mach over the entire trajectory — is not confirmed. An additional contradiction concerns the warhead: given a missile cost many times higher than that of cruise counterparts, its destructive potential (120 kg) is inferior even to small cruise missiles like the 'Bandirol' (150 kg), which calls into question the economic efficiency of using the 3M22 against ground targets.

### Context: Air Defense Shortage and New Threats

The publication of data on the 'Zircon' coincided with reports of strikes on Kyiv by an updated ballistic missile under the provisional name 'Iskander-1000', which, thanks to an enlarged engine and an extended launch platform, is capable of hitting targets at greater ranges. Against this backdrop, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat announced a shortage of missiles for air defense systems — both for Patriot air defense complexes and for ground and aviation platforms. According to him, the issue of strengthening the defense of Ukrainian airspace for the autumn–winter period came up in every conversation President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had with European leaders. The GUR's disclosure of the 'Zircon's' characteristics at such a moment looks not only like an information operation but also like an attempt to justify to Western partners the need for urgently expanding deliveries of air defense systems capable of intercepting high-speed ballistic targets.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Worse than the 'Bandirol': GUR Reveals the Characteristics of the 'Zircon' Ballistic Missile](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/girshe-banderoli-gur-rozkrili-harakteristiki-1788165812.html) - Основной источник: вес БЧ 120 кг, скорость 6,8 Маха, титановый хвост, «Багет-83», адаптация под «Бастион-М», предприятия и иностранное оборудование
- [Intelligence Publishes Data on the Russian 3M22 'Zircon' Ballistic Missile](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/08/31/novost/bezopasnost/razvedka-obnarodovala-dannye-rossijskoj-ballisticheskoj-rakete-3m22-cirkon) - Подтверждает публикацию ГУР, дублирует ключевые технические параметры и контекст адаптации под береговые комплексы
- ['Zircon' Is Not as Fast as the Russians Claim: What's Inside Russia's Most Expensive Missile — GUR](https://www.unian.net/weapons/gur-rassekretilo-iz-chego-sostoit-samaya-dorogaya-raketa-rf-cirkon-13485453.html) - Подтверждает расхождение в скорости (9 Махов заявлено vs 6,8 зафиксировано), комбинированную систему наведения, твердотопливные двигатели
- [Zircon Missile: Characteristics, Range, and Why It Is Hard to Intercept](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/ukraine/suspilstvo/20260820-giperzvukova-krylata-raketa-czyrkon-na-shho-zdatna-ta-osnovni-harakterystyky/) - Дополнительный контекст по характеристикам и сложности перехвата, согласуется с данными ГУР

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the actual speed of the 'Zircon' missile according to GUR?
**A:** According to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, the recorded maximum flight speed of the 3M22 'Zircon' missile does not exceed 6.8 Mach, and this figure is not sustained throughout the entire flight. The Russian side claims to reach 9 Mach at certain stages, but Ukrainian intelligence does not confirm these data.

### Q: Why is the 'Zircon's' warhead considered insufficient?
**A:** The 3M22 warhead weighs about 120 kg, which is less than the short-range cruise missile 'Bandirol' (150 kg). For the most expensive strike weapon in Russia's arsenal, this is an extremely modest figure, calling into question the economic efficiency of using the missile against ground targets.

### Q: What was the 'Zircon' originally designed for, and why is it launched from shore?
**A:** The 3M22 missile was developed as a ship-targeting weapon for nuclear submarines and Project 22350 frigates with the 3S14 UKSK. During the war, Russia faced problems using its fleet in the Black Sea and adapted the missiles for launch from the 'Bastion-M' shore-based missile complexes.

### Q: What guidance system is used in the 'Zircon'?
**A:** The missile has a combined guidance system: during the cruise phase of flight an inertial navigation system operates, and in the final stage an active radar homing seeker is activated. The onboard digital computing complex 'Baget-83' is typical of Russian ballistic missiles.

### Q: How is the 'Zircon' situation related to the air defense shortage in Ukraine?
**A:** The publication of GUR data coincided with a statement by Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat about a shortage of missiles for air defense systems, including Patriot and ground/aviation platforms. According to him, the issue of strengthening air defense for the autumn–winter period was discussed in every conversation President Zelenskyy had with European leaders.