Russia said Thursday that it had successfully carried out a test firing of a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile, a weapon of a new kind that Moscow considers "
invincible
" and which worries the West.
In a statement, the Russian army said it had fired from the frigate Admiral Gorchkov at a target in the waters of the White Sea, in the Arctic, adding that this target had been destroyed by "
a direct hit
".
A video, made public by the Defense Ministry, showed the craft taking off in a burst of light and followed by a trail of smoke in the middle of the night.
Read alsoRussia successfully tests a hypersonic missile from a submarine
The first official firing of a Zircon dates back to October 2020, when President Vladimir Putin hailed a "
great event
".
Other tests have since taken place, notably from the frigate Admiral Gorchkov and from a submerged submarine.
In the context of the tensions with the Western countries, in particular Washington, Russia has multiplied in recent years the announcements of the development of new weapons presented by Mr. Poutine as "
invincible
", like the Zircon.
With a maximum range of around 1,000 kilometers, it is intended to equip surface ships and submarines of the Russian fleet.
Read alsoRussia successfully tests its Zircon hypersonic missile
The first new generation Avangard hypersonic missiles, capable of reaching a speed of Mach 27 and changing course and altitude, for their part were put into service with the Russian army in December 2019. Russia is also seeking to develop its weapons usable in space.
She thus admitted Tuesday to have pulverized one of her own inactive satellites in orbit, which angered the West who accused her of having endangered the International Space Station in question a cloud of debris.