President Vladimir Putin moved a ship equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles of the latest generation from an Arctic naval station to the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, signaling to the West that Russia will not back down in the Ukraine conflict.
Russia, China, and the United States are engaged in a race to create hypersonic weapons, which are viewed as a means of gaining an advantage over any foe due to their speed (more than five times the speed of sound) maneuverability.
Putin stated in a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Igor Krokhmal, the captain of the "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov" frigate, that the vessel was equipped with Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic missiles.
Putin stated, "This time, the ship is equipped with the most advanced hypersonic missile system, Zircon." "I am confident that such potent weapons will effectively defend Russia against external threats."
Putin stated that weaponry has "no equivalents in any country in the world."
There is no end in sight for the war, which has devolved into a grueling winter artillery fight that has killed and maimed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides for more than ten months since Putin deployed troops into Ukraine.
Russia has also employed Kinzhal (or "Dagger") hypersonic missiles against Ukraine.
Along with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, which entered combat service in 2019, the Zircon is the most critical hypersonic weapon in Russia's arsenal.
Russia views the weapons as a means of penetrating the increasingly advanced U.S. missile defenses, which Putin has warned could one day be used to intercept and destroy Russian nuclear missiles.
Atlantic voyage
Shoigu stated that the Gorshkov, which departed from a Russian navy station in the Arctic city of Severomorsk province of Murmansk, would travel to the Atlantic, Indian, and Mediterranean oceans.
"This ship, equipped with 'Zircon' missiles, is capable of delivering pinpoint and devastating strikes against the enemy on land and sea," Shoigu explained.
Shoigu stated that hypersonic missiles are capable of defeating any missile defense system. According to Shoigu, rockets travel at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of over one thousand kilometers.
Shoigu stated that the mission's primary objectives were to repel threats to Russia and to ensure "regional peace and stability jointly with friendly countries."
According to research by the Congressional Research Service on hypersonic weapons, Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles are designed to carry nuclear bombs.
Due to their mobility, the target of a hypersonic weapon is far more difficult to calculate than that of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
In addition to Russia, the United States, and China, the U.S. Congressional Research Service reports that Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, North Korea, and Japan are researching hypersonic weaponry.
