Putin pledges to include Zircon hypersonic missiles in Russia's navy amid war with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged that his navy would soon be armed with destructive hypersonic "Zircon" missiles as tensions with the West rise and the conflict in Ukraine rages on. While speaking on Russia's Navy Day onboard a ship in St. Petersburg, Putin lauded Russian Tsar Peter the Great for creating Russia a great sea power and further boasted about the special capabilities of the hypersonic weaponry, Daily Mail reported.

The deployment of the Zircon cruise missiles, according to the President, will take place in the next months and would enable the Russian Navy to respond to threats promptly. 

On the occasion, Putin said, “The delivery of these (missiles) to the Russian armed forces will start in the coming months”, Newsweek reported. He added, “The Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be the first to go on combat duty with these formidable weapons on board.” 

The Russian President even noted, “The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy... It is able to respond with lightning speed to all who decide to infringe on our sovereignty and freedom.” 

It is pertinent to mention that Russia has performed several test launches of the Zircon hypersonic missile from warships and submarines over the last year. Hypersonic missiles are capable of travelling at nine times the speed of sound. 

According to a Newsweek report, in January 2020, Russia conducted the Zircon's initial test, claiming it could travel at speeds of up to 6,600 mph and hit targets at a distance of 1,000 kilometres 

Furthermore, in his speech, Russian President Putin avoided mentioning Ukraine but emphasised that the missiles will be deployed wherever Russia's interests lie. 

Drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters

Meanwhile, in the midst of heated negotiations and attacks between Moscow and Kyiv, Putin made his announcement of the inclusion of hypersonic Zircon missiles. Moreover, this came at the time when six individuals were hurt when an explosive drone-deployed bomb exploded at the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, according to Russian authorities on Sunday. 

The assault happened in Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea that Russia invaded in 2014, during celebrations for Russian Navy Day. As per a Fox News report, the explosive device had a limited output, and the drone seemed to be handmade. The six reported injuries were not described in detail by Sevastopol Mayor Mikhail Razvozhaev. Further, it is still unknown who carried out the attack. 

Later, Razvozhaev stated that the city's Navy Day celebrations would be postponed due to the claimed attack. 

On the other hand, Serhiy Bratchuk, a Ukrainian official and the chief of the Odesa regional military administration, referred to Russian accusations of the strike as "provocation" and refuted them. 

(Image: AP)