According to the country's defense ministry, Russia successfully tested its new hypersonic Zircon cruise missile before the weapon's debut on warships in the coming weeks.

According to the Russian defense ministry, the missile was launched from the warship Admiral Gorshkov in the Barents Sea and successfully struck its target in the White Sea.

"According to objective control data, the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile successfully struck a 1,000-kilometer-distance sea target," the company said.

"The hypersonic missile's flight conformed to the specified parameters."

In October 2020, on Vladimir Putin's birthday, the Zircon was first tested. Putin hailed the launch as a "major event" for the nation.

Mr. Putin stated, "Equipping our armed forces - the army and the navy - with the most advanced, truly unrivaled weapons systems will ensure the long-term security of our nation."

The missile, capable of speeds up to 7,000 miles per hour, was tested again last summer at 5,381 miles per hour and hit a target 217 miles away.

In a 2018 address, Mr. Putin praised the weapon as part of a new generation of unrivaled weaponry systems, boasting that it could target any site and avoid US-built missile defenses.

Russia announced in January that tests were nearly complete and that the weapon would be deployed aboard frigates and submarines later in the year.

"The state tests of the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile launched from the ocean are nearing completion. Beginning in 2022, serial deliveries will commence, said Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Kryvoruchko.