Russia has revealed a ‘successful’ test of its 6,670mph hypersonic Zircon missile fired from a warship in the White Sea.
Moscow’s defence ministry reported Monday that an ‘unstoppable” weapon struck a target 250 miles from the Admiral Gorshkov ship.
Russia has begun serial production of its deadly missile, amid intense tensions between the West and Russia.
Before state testing was completed, the go-ahead to full-scale production in a highly secret plant at Reutovo near Moscow came before any other tests.
Separately Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus dictator) has promised to join Russia in the case of a new European war.
Russia revealed that it had successfully tested its hypersonic Zircon missile, which can travel 6,670 mph (pictured right and left). According to the Moscow defense ministry, the ‘unstoppable weapon’ hit its target 250 miles from Admiral Gorshkov’s frigate.
Minsk won’t stand aside if the West triggers conflict at the Russian border.
“They know very well that Belarus will not tolerate a renewed war in Donbass (eastern Ukraine), or any other place on the Russian-Russian border. It is clear which side Belarus will choose.
“They know it. That is why they started to strengthen their northern border. The Ukrainian-Belarusian frontier, even though there is no need to at this time.
He claimed that he did not have any information on Russia’s plans for attacking Ukraine. But, if such plans existed the Belarusian army, including me, would have been informed.
Lukashenko was accused by the EU, who claimed that he waged a “hybrid assault” against the bloc. He used desperate migrants as pawns to trick them into entering EU countries Poland and Lithuania.
According to the EU, this is Lukaschenko’s reprisal for EU sanctions against Belarus that were imposed after it brutally cracked down on democracy protestors.
Separately Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator (pictured on Friday at the border between Poland and Belarus), has pledged to work with Russia in case of another war in Europe.
Following other successful test of the Mach-9-capable missile, Russia has given approval for production in full scale. This is a weapon that Russia says will defy all Western defenses.
Vladimir Putin has ordered the missile to be deployed next year by the Russian Navy boasting that it is ‘truly unparalleled…in the world’.
The hypersonic weapon was successfully tested from an 18-year-old White Sea ship two weeks prior.
One month before, the Zircon had been fired for the first-time from a submarine.
Moscow’s state-controlled TV has identified it as Vladimir Putin’s choice weapon for destroying American cities in an event of an nuclear conflict.
On July 19, 2021, the hypersonic missile Zircon (Tsirkon), was successfully launched at a target in the Barents Sea.
Yury Borisov, the Kremlin’s deputy prime minister (pictured), stated last month that Russia has outpaced Western hypersonic weapon production and plans to keep its lead.
According to TASS, the multi-purpose hypersonic weapon is designed to hit both ground and sea targets. It is capable of striking targets from more than 625 mile away.
Russia’s reported troop building up near Ukraine’s border has caused tension in relations with the West. This has triggered fears of an invasion.
Karen Donfried (Senior US State Department Official) expressed concerns Friday about Russian troop movements in the vicinity of Ukraine’s frontier.
NATO foreign ministers are expected to discuss next week options regarding dealing with Russian threats amid claims from Volodymyr Ziensky (Ukraine President) that Moscow is supporting a plot against him. A claim which the Kremlin strongly denies.
Other flashpoints relate to Russian gas supplies to Europe during the winter amid shortage fears, and Moscow’s ally Belarus encouraging a flood of migrants to break into the EU – which Russia has been accused of orchestrating.
A large number of migrants, mostly Iraqi Kurds have been trapped in Belarus since Nov. 8 at the border crossing to Poland. They are being held hostage by freezing temperatures while forces from both countries clash.
Many of these migrants flee conflict and hopelessness in their homelands, and seek to escape violence or despair by reaching Germany or other Western European nations.
Belarus’ Lukasenko said Monday that several other migrants were found frozen near the Lithuanian border by border guards from Belarus.
The Zircon will soon be used on Russian frigates, and later on subs.
Recent announcements stated that additional submarine Zircon testing would not be conducted until 2024/2025.
Sources within the defense ministry said that this week’s exercises would be performed from Project 885M submarine Perm, which will have a design slightly different from previous versions.
“If the submarine isn’t ready for the Zircon launch-launches 2024, the test-launches will be resumed during the first half 2025.
Yury Borisov, the Kremlin’s deputy prime minister, stated last month that Russia has outpaced Western hypersonic weapon production – and plans to keep its lead.
He stated that he had made progress, particularly in the area of hypersonic weapons, and (those) which were based on novel physical principles.
“We now have significant advantages in this respect over the leading Western nations – and we’ll continue to strive for this position.”
At Reutovo, Moscow region, Military-Industrial Corporation Research and Industrial Association of Machine Building MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia are developing hypersonic missiles.