Russia Launches Zircon Hypersonic Missile in Barents Sea in Joint Drills With Belarus

Reuters

Russian Northern Fleet frigate Admiral Golovko launches a Zircon hypersonic missile at a target duri

Russia announced on Sunday that it had fired a Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic cruise missile at a target in the Barents Sea, while Sukhoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers carried out air strikes as part of joint military exercises with Belarus.

The “Zapad” (West) strategic exercise, which began on 12 September, is intended to improve military command and coordination in the event of an attack on either Russia or Belarus, according to Russia’s defence ministry. 

Moscow and Minsk have stated that the drills are defensive in nature and do not target any NATO member. However, the U.S.-led alliance launched the “Eastern Sentry” operation following recent incursions of Russian drones into Poland on 9–10 September.

Footage released by Russia’s defence ministry showed the Northern Fleet’s Admiral Golovko frigate launching a Zircon hypersonic missile vertically, which then powered off at an angle toward its target. The ministry reported that “according to objective monitoring data received in real time, the target was destroyed by a direct hit.”

Long-range anti-submarine aircraft from the Northern Fleet’s mixed aviation corps were also involved, with Su-34 crews conducting bombing exercises against ground targets.

The Zircon missile, described by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2019, can reportedly fly at nine times the speed of sound and strike targets on land and at sea at ranges exceeding 1,000 kilometres. Russian media state that the missile, designated 3M22 Zircon domestically and SS-N-33 by NATO, has a range of 400–1,000 km and carries a warhead weighing approximately 300–400 kg.

Source: Reuters



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