Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news convention after a gathering of the State Council on youth coverage in Moscow, Russia, December 22, 2022. (REUTERS File Photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has put the brand new Zircon hypersonic missile into service because the nation’s conflict effort flounders in Ukraine.
“I am sure that such a powerful weapon will allow us to reliably protect Russia from external threats and secure the national interests of our country,” he stated in a televised video hyperlink from the Kremlin to mark the commissioning of the missiles on the Admiral Gorshkov frigate.
The vessel is a part of Russia’s Northern Fleet and is to be despatched on a prolonged sea voyage to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to display Russia’s naval energy.
The warship, commissioned in 2018, is the primary frigate to be outfitted with the brand new missiles.
The Zircon has a spread of greater than 500 kilometres and is primarily used for anti-ship missions. Because of its extraordinarily excessive velocity – in response to Russian figures, it could possibly speed up as much as 8,000 to 9,000 kilometres per hour – it’s virtually unstoppable by anti-aircraft defences.
