In its daily briefing on the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, the State Department shared a satellite image it said showed two Russian warplanes, along with a well-protected container believed to be storing missiles. The photo, which was taken on October 18, shows what Foreign Ministry analysts believe are MiG-31K jets, as well as a possible canister containing hypersonic Kinzhal missiles at Machulishchy airfield, just outside Minsk. “Russia has occasionally fired these weapons during the war in Ukraine, but stockpiles are likely very limited,” the State Department said. The MiG-31K was specially developed to carry the missiles, which have a range of over 1,200 miles. Parking the jets in Belarus would do little to increase the number of targets they could strike in Ukraine, the State Department said.
