Russia Equipping MiG-31I Strike Fighters with New Quasi-Ballistic Blast Fragmentation Missile

The Russian defence sector is developing a new quasi-ballistic missile equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, according to information published by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate. The disclosure accompanied the publication of an interactive three-dimensional model of the missile, details of its internal components and information on the firms involved in its production. The new configuration would expand the range of conventional warhead options available for a weapon that has been employed extensively in Russian strikes against Ukrainian targets. The new missile is being developed as a variant of the Kinzhal missile to equip MiG-31I strike fighters

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Kinzhal currently has two principal warhead configurations: a penetrating high-explosive warhead designed to breach concrete structures and fortified facilities, and a nuclear warhead. The proposed fragmentation variant would provide a different effect against penetrating substantial structural protection. The existing conventional warhead is designed to penetrate floors, reinforced concrete and other substantial barriers before or during detonation. This makes it suitable for attacking hardened facilities. A high-explosive fragmentation warhead would offer a different balance of effects, optimising it for striking targets where the distribution of explosive energy and fragments is favoured over penetration capability.

The Kinzhal was developed as an air launched variant of the 9M720 ballistic missile from the Iskander-M ground-based system, and has been combat tested against a wide variety of high value targets in the Ukrainian theatre. The system gained considerable attention after it was reportedly used in May 2023 to neutralise Ukrainian Patriot missile systems in the country’s capital, mirroring verified successful strikes by Iskander-M systems against Patriot systems on multiple occasions. Kinzhal missiles following quasi-ballistic trajectories and are able to perform complex manoeuvres during flight, which makes them highly challenging to intercept. The MiG-31I gained a new inflight regretting capability in 2023, and from October 2025 was confirmed to have launched strikes on Ukrainian targets from bases deep in the Russian interior, operating alongside Il-78 tankers to cover greater distances and loiter for longer periods before firing their missiles.