Russia reportedly test-fired a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile (also spelt as Tsirkon) from the Barents Sea, the country's defence ministry said on Saturday, 29 May.
The missile hit a naval target about 1,000 km away in the White Sea and the path followed by it corresponded to the designed parameters, Xinhua news agency said, quoting the Russian Defence Ministry.
The Zircon missile has been test-fired several times from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine.
In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin had informed about the missile for the first time and said that the missile can reach speeds of approximately Mach 9 and strike a target more than 1,000 km away both underwater and on the ground.
The development comes amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Putin has warned Western countries against interfering in Ukraine and has said that warships armed with Zircon would give Russia the capability to strike decision-making centres within minutes, The Associated Press reported.
(With inputs from IANS.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)