Russia announces successful new hypersonic missile launch
Russia admitted to pulverizing Soviet satellite in orbit, angering Westerners
The Russian military announced on Monday that it had successfully carried out a new test firing of the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile at a target in the waters of the White Sea in the Arctic.
The shooting "was recognized as successful", the target located more than 400 km "having been destroyed," said the statement.
A video, made public by the Defense Ministry, showed the craft taking off in a burst of light and followed by a trail of smoke in the middle of the night.
The first official firing of a Zircon dates back to October 2020, when President Vladimir Putin hailed a "great event".
Other tests have since taken place, notably from the frigate Admiral Gorchkov and from a submerged submarine.
The last such test shot dates back to November 18.
In the context of the tensions with the Western countries, in particular with the United States, Russia has multiplied in recent years the announcements of the development of new weapons presented by Mr. Putin as "invincible", like the Zircon .
With a maximum range of around 1,000 kilometers, it is intended to equip surface ships and submarines of the Russian fleet.
The first new generation Avangard hypersonic missiles, capable of reaching a speed of Mach 27 and changing course and altitude, were put into service with the Russian army in December 2019.
Russia is also seeking to develop its weapons for use in space.
She recently admitted having pulverized an old Soviet satellite in orbit, angering Westerners who accused her of endangering the International Space Station (ISS) by causing a cloud of debris.
The announcement comes after the recent publication in American media that China has tested this summer a hypersonic missile capable of launching a projectile in its turn, a technology that neither the United States nor Russia currently has.
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