The Zircon hypersonic cruise missile was launched by the Admiral Gorshkov guided missile frigate during a test in the Barents Sea, on this still image taken from a video published on May 28, 2022. Russian Ministry of Defense / Distribution to REUTERS
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May 28 (Reuters) – Russia successfully tested a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile at a distance of about 1,000 km (625 miles), the defense ministry said on Saturday.
The missile was launched from the Barents Sea and hit a target in the White Sea. A video released by the ministry shows the rocket fired from a ship and blazing in the sky on a steep trajectory.
President Vladimir Putin described Zircon as part of a new generation of unsurpassed weapon systems. Hypersonic weapons can move at nine times the speed of sound, and Russia has conducted previous test launches of Zircon from warships and submarines in the past year.
The Russian military suffered heavy casualties and equipment during its three-month invasion of Ukraine, which it called a “special operation”, but continued to conduct high-profile weapons tests to remind the world of its mastery of missile technology.
Last month, it launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat, capable of carrying 10 or more warheads and hitting the United States.
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Report by Mark Trevelian; Edited by Kirsten Donovan
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