Kh-101 missile: speed and flight time to Kyiv and Lviv
The Kh-101 is a Russian subsonic air-launched cruise missile. It is fired by Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers — in 2026 mostly over the Caspian Sea. It flies at about 700 km/h; from the Caspian to Kyiv that is at least 2 h 20 min in a straight line, and the real route with its turns is longer. The map counts with 650 km/h, the average speed along the route.
How long a Kh-101 takes to reach Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa
The times below are for a straight line from the launch area to the city centre. They are a lower bound: the Kh-101 flies through set waypoints, skirts air defence and can enter Ukraine from an unexpected side — on 30 July 2026 one missile came in over Sumy Oblast, flew west across Volyn and fell in Poland [6]. So hours usually pass between launch and impact.
| Launch area | Kyiv | Kharkiv | Dnipro | Odesa | Lviv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caspian Sea | 2 h 20 min 1530 km | 1 h 45 min 1142 km | 1 h 45 min 1146 km | 2 h 10 min 1416 km | 3 h 1958 km |
| Volgodonsk (Rostov Oblast) | 1 h 25 min 908 km | 47 min 514 km | 50 min 539 km | 1 h 20 min 873 km | 2 h 5 min 1352 km |
| Engels (Saratov Oblast) | 1 h 40 min 1102 km | 1 h 5 min 721 km | 1 h 20 min 865 km | 1 h 55 min 1256 km | 2 h 25 min 1568 km |
| Vologda Oblast | 1 h 45 min 1143 km | 1 h 35 min 1052 km | 1 h 55 min 1237 km | 2 h 20 min 1541 km | 2 h 15 min 1454 km |
The first alert for a Kh-101 often comes as early as the bombers' take-off or launch, long before the missiles enter Ukraine. The map counts the time to arrival from each missile's current position.
Where the Kh-101 is launched from
- The Caspian Sea — the main launch area in 2026, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence [1]. The bombers take off from Olenya (Murmansk Oblast) or Engels and fly to the Caspian; on 15 April 2026 there was even a daytime launch [5].
- Vologda Oblast — among the cruise-missile launch areas on 7 October 2026 [9].
- Volgodonsk (Rostov Oblast) and Engels (Saratov Oblast) — launch areas the Air Force named in 2022 [10] [11].
Kh-101 speed
The Kh-101 cruises at about 700 km/h [2]. It flies anywhere from a few dozen metres to ~6 km up, and drops to 30–60 m near the target [2]. On the map the Kh-101 and the Kalibr are one "Cruise missile" type with the same speed.
How the Kh-101 has changed since 2022
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, the missile has been upgraded at least four times [1]:
- instead of a single ~480 kg warhead — a tandem one, two warheads totalling about 800 kg;
- a cluster warhead with spherical submunitions, in some missiles with an incendiary effect;
- an onboard jammer and automatic release of flares and chaff;
- a new radar-absorbing coating that makes it harder to see on radar [3].
How many Kh-101s Russia has and how many are shot down
- Production. Defence Intelligence estimates (July 2026) up to 70 missiles a month, with about 120 in stock [4]. According to the Ministry of Defence, there are no large stocks: missiles are assembled 1–2 weeks before launch [1].
- Interception. Since the start of 2026 air defence has downed about 88% of Kh-101, Kh-55 and Kh-555 missiles [1]. In September 2026, 24 Kh-101s were destroyed [8].
- Biggest strikes of 2026. 14 May — 35 Kh-101s, 29 shot down; 24 people killed in Kyiv [7]. 30 July — 61 Kh-101 and Kalibr missiles, 54 shot down [6]. 7 October — 48 cruise missiles, 39 shot down [9].
Kh-101 vs Kalibr
| Kh-101 | Kalibr (3M-14) | |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier | Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers | ships and submarines |
| Launched from in 2026 | from the air, mostly over the Caspian | Novorossiysk harbour, the Caspian Sea |
| Speed | ~700 km/h | 650–860 km/h; per Defence Intelligence — 900–1,000 km/h [22] |
| Range | ~2,500 km (Ministry of Defence) | 1,500–2,500 km; Defence Intelligence lists up to 5,500 km [22] |
| Warhead | ~480 kg; tandem ~800 kg; cluster | ~450 kg; since 2026 also cluster; per Defence Intelligence — 400–800 kg, high-explosive, cluster or tandem [22] |
Kh-101 specifications
| Type | subsonic air-launched cruise missile |
|---|---|
| Carriers | Tu-95MS, Tu-160 |
| Speed | cruise ~700 km/h [2] |
| Altitude | from 30–60 m near the target to ~6 km en route [2] |
| Range | ~2,500 km according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence; Russia claims more [1] |
| Warhead | ~480 kg; tandem (two, ~800 kg together); cluster [1] |
| Protection | jammer, flares and chaff, radar-absorbing coating [1] [3] |
| Price | ~$13 million (Forbes estimate, 2022) |
| Production | up to 70 a month (Defence Intelligence, July 2026) [4] |
| Size and weight | length 7.45 m, wingspan 4.3 m, diameter 0.742 m, launch weight 2,400 kg [22] |
The Defence Intelligence catalogue gives the Kh-101 a speed of 900–1,000 km/h and a range of up to 5,500 km — nominal limits; the map counts with 650 km/h, the average over real routes. It holds 138 components from seven countries, Russia included (Baikal Electronics processors, Morion): a TRDD-50A engine, the Otblesk-U optical correction system, chips by Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, Intel, NXP, STMicroelectronics, Xilinx (AMD), Renesas, Microchip and Vicor, made in 2021–2022 [22].
What a Kh-101 looks like on the map
A red marker with straight wings is a "Cruise missile" (the map uses it for both the Kh-101 and the Kalibr). Next to it is the number of minutes to arrival; the dashed line shows the course. Open the map · all threat types · Kalibr · Kh-22
Sources
- Ministry of Defence of Ukraine — how Russia changed the Kh-101 (11.05.2026, Ukrainian)
- CSIS Missile Threat — Kh-101 / Kh-102
- Militarnyi — the Kh-101 with a new radar-absorbing coating (13.06.2026, Ukrainian)
- UNIAN — how many Kh-101s Russia makes a month (28.07.2026, Ukrainian)
- Militarnyi — a daytime Kh-101 launch (15.04.2026)
- Militarnyi — a Kh-101 falls in Poland (30.07.2026)
- Militarnyi — the 14 May strike: missiles made in Q2 2026 (15.05.2026, Ukrainian)
- Interfax-Ukraine — Air Force totals for September 2026 (10.10.2026)
- Fakty — the 7 October 2026 attack: launch areas (Ukrainian)
- Focus — launches from the Caspian and Volgodonsk (31.10.2022, Ukrainian)
- Slovo i Dilo — launches from the Caspian and the Engels area (16.12.2022, Ukrainian)
- Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, War & Sanctions — Kh-101 missile: specifications, components and manufacturers
Our figure — the 650 km/h the map uses for a cruise missile's time to arrival — comes from the Alarm Maps map; how we compute it is described on the Sources page.
Updated .