The defence ministry has said that Russia has successfully conducted a test-fire of a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile. Footage of the test, which took place today (May 28), shows the weapon being blasted into the air from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the Barents Sea.
The missile, capable of travelling at 6,670 mph, reportedly struck its intended target in the White Sea some 625 miles away.
In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said: ‘According to objective control data, the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile successfully hit a sea target located at a distance of about 1,000 km.
‘The flight of the hypersonic missile corresponded to the specified parameters.’ Vladimir Putin has poured money into developing new missiles, which he claims are ‘unstoppable’.
The president has claimed the Zircon forms part of a new generation of unrivalled arms systems. Russia has conducted several tests of the hypersonic missiles, which can travel nine times the speed of sound, from warships and submarines over the past year.
In January, Alexey Kryvoruchko, Russia’s deputy defence minister, said: ‘The state tests of the Zircon sea-based hypersonic cruise missile are nearing completion.
The missile is expected to be deployed to warships first, followed by submarines. Last month Russia test-launched a new nuclear-capable intercontinental missile, the Sarmat, capable of carrying ten or more warheads and striking the United States.
Russia’s military has suffered heavy losses of men and equipment during its three-month invasion of Ukraine, which it calls a ‘special operation’.
Despite the invasion not going to plan for the Kremlin and troops having to withdraw in the face of the solid Ukrainian defence, the nation has continued to stage high-profile weapons tests.
