INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia said on Saturday (March 19) that it had used hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles to destroy a large weapons depot in Ukraine&s
western Ivano-Frankivsk region.Russia&s Interfax news agency said it was the first time Russia had deployed the hypersonic Kinzhal system
since it sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb
24.Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told a briefing that the underground depot hit by the Kinzhal system on Friday housed
Ukrainian missiles and aircraft ammunition, according to a recording of the briefing shared by Russian news agencies.Reuters was not able to
independently verify Konashenkov&s statements.The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.Russia prides itself on its advanced weaponry, and President Vladimir Putin said in December that Russia was the global leader
in hypersonic missiles, whose speed, maneuverability and altitude make them difficult to track and intercept.The Kinzhal missiles are part
of an array of weapons unveiled in 2018.Konashenkov added on Saturday that Russian forces had also destroyed military radio and
reconnaissance centers near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa using the Bastion coastal missile system.Moscow refers to its actions in
Ukraine as a &special operation& to weaken its southern neighbor&s military capabilities and root out people it calls dangerous
nationalists.Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and Western countries have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to
force it to withdraw its forces.The post Russia says it has used hypersonic missiles in strike on Ukraine arms depot first appeared on
