RUSSIAN military announced a successful test of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile on Saturday, as Moscow intensifies its onslaught in Ukraine.
According to the defence ministry, the missile was launched from the Admiral Gorshkov ship in the Barents Sea and “successfully hit” a target 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) away in the White Sea in the Arctic.
The test was carried out as part of continuing “testing of new weaponry,” according to the ministry.
In October 2020, President Vladimir Putin conducted the first formal Zircon test, which he hailed as a “great event.” Other tests, conducted by the same frigate and a submerged submarine, followed.
The latest hypersonic missile test comes as Russia appears to be gaining progress in its offensive in Ukraine, which began in late February.
The weapon has a maximum range of roughly 1,000 kilometers and can reach speeds of five to 10 times the speed of sound.
Moscow announced in March that it has used its high-precision Kinzhal, or dagger, hypersonic missile in combat for the first time.
The missiles are part of a new family of “invincible” armaments in Russia’s arsenal, according to Putin.
Because of their speed, but also because they are launched at a lower altitude towards their target, the new generation of missiles, presented by Putin in 2018, are more difficult to track and intercept by missile defense systems than conventional weapons.
