Russia sends ‘unrivaled’ hypersonic missile ship to train in Atlantic, Indian Oceans

Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the launch of a warship armed with new hypersonic cruise missiles on Wednesday that is set to embark on a training mission to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean.

In a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Igor Krokhmal, the commander of the Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the ship was equipped with Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic weapons.

“I am sure that such powerful weapons will reliably protect Russia from potential external threats," Putin said.

"We will continue to develop the fighting potential of our armed forces," he said, adding that the Zircon missile system on the ship "has no equivalent".

Russia says 89 troops killed in Ukrainian strike, blames mobile phones

Russia says Ukrainian forces have killed 89 Russian troops in a missile strike in the Donetsk region, blaming the deadly attack on the illegal use of mobile phones by its troops.

Alongside the Avangard supersonic vehicle, which entered combat duty in 2019, Zircon forms the centerpiece of Russia's supersonic arsenal.

Moscow sees the use of the weapons as a way to penetrate advanced US missile defense systems.

Shoigu, in his remarks, said the Gorshkov ship would sail to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and then to the Mediterranean Sea.

"The main focus of the mission will be countering threats to Russia and supporting regional peace and stability together with friendly countries," he said.

"In exercises, there will be training for the crew on deploying hypersonic weapons and long-range cruise missiles."

In a recent report on hypersonic weapons, the US Congressional Research Service said Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles are designed for use with nuclear warheads.

Calculating the target of a hypersonic weapon is much more difficult than intercontinental ballistic missiles due to their maneuverability.

According to the Service, apart from Russia, the United States and China, a range of other countries in the world are also developing hypersonic weapons, including Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, North Korea and Japan.

UK’s Sunak pledges long-term support to Ukraine amid London’s economic downturn

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reassured Ukraine of London’s long-term military and financial support for Kiev.

Since the start of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, the United States has sent more than $40 billion in military weapons to Kiev. It is what Moscow says actually makes Washington a direct party to the war.

Russia says Washington is not only supplying sophisticated weapons to Kiev, but also providing the Ukrainian military with intelligence about the location of Russian forces.

Moscow and Kiev have in recent months exchanged hundreds of prisoners, despite a complete breakdown in broader diplomatic talks.

Russia started the operation in Ukraine with the declared aim of "de-Nazifying" the country on February 24, 2022, accusing Kiev of failing to implement the terms of an earlier peace agreement with the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Since the beginning of the war, the United States and its European allies have imposed waves of economic sanctions on Moscow.

The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the sanctions and the Western military assistance to Kiev will only prolong the war.

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