Russia Announces Success in Hypersonic Missile Launch

Russia announced on Thursday that the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" successfully conducted a test launch of the hypersonic missile "Tsirkon," a new type of weapon that raises concern in the West, and which Moscow considers "invulnerable." The Russian military stated in a release that the missile was launched towards a naval target in the White Sea, hitting the target with a "direct strike." The first official launch of the Tsirkon missile took place in October 2020, when Russian President Vladimir Putin deemed the successful experiment a "great event" for "all of Russia." Since then, trials have been conducted from the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov." Amid rising tensions with the West, Russia has announced in recent years the development of several weapons described by Putin as "invulnerable." The Tsirkon missile is part of this arsenal, capable of reaching a range of up to 1,000 kilometers, with plans to equip Russian naval ships and submarines with it. Russia boasts of developing a number of "invulnerable" weapons, including the hypersonic Kinzhal missile designed for the air force and the nuclear-powered cruise missile "Burevestnik." In December 2019, the Russian military first put the hypersonic "Avangard" missiles, capable of changing direction and altitude, into service.