Russia to equip new submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles

Russia plans to equip its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, chief of the country's largest shipbuilder says, adding that it will deliver five more ships to the Russian navy by the year's end.

"Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis," Chief Executive Officer of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexei Rakhmanov declared on Monday.

Russian Navy will also receive at least five more ships by the end of the year, Rakhmanov further noted as cited in a report by Sputnik News.

"This year, we have already commissioned three new ships and repaired one. By the end of the year, we expect to transfer at least five more ships," he added as quoted in the report.

The development comes amid the raging conflict between Western-backed Ukraine and Russia and as Kiev has increasingly resorted to the use of the globally-banned cluster bombs as well as armed drones to strike Russian cities and naval facilities following major battlefield losses and defeats.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova lashed out on Sunday at Ukraine’s “terrorist attack” on Crimean Bridge, insisting that the “barbaric action” has put the lives of innocent civilians at risk, and vowed retaliation.

“Such acts of sabotage provide the international community with a change to see for themselves the true colors of the Kiev regime. Such barbaric actions cannot be justified, and they will not remain without a response,” she said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app.

“There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered,” she added.

Earlier Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov had also blasted Washington for its “shameless” and “outrageous” support of Ukraine’s “proper” use of cluster munitions, noting that the bombs have already killed a Russian journalist.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Antonov slammed Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder on Thursday for his remarks claiming that the US has “all indications” that Ukraine is “properly” employing cluster munitions.

“Attempts by US officials to portray Ukraine’s use of controversial cluster munitions as appropriate and legitimate are shameless and outrageous,” the Russian diplomat pointed out.

He further cited Ukraine’s July 22 shelling with cluster bombs which killed a Russian reporter who worked for RIA Novosti. Three other journalists were also wounded.

“I would like to know whether ‘the proper use’ of cluster bombs is also true for the assassination of Russian journalist Rostislav Zhuravlev,” Antonov said.

“Is there any limit to the cynicism of the Pentagon functionaries who make such statements?” he added.

Antonov also said “Ukrainian terrorists” have orchestrated the assassination of several high-profile Russian figures with Western weapons and are responsible for the death of hundreds of children.

He further slammed Kiev for regularly shelling residential areas, staging “terrorist attacks” on the Crimean Bridge and civilian ships, and carrying out strikes on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, and held Ukraine and the US accountable for the “lawlessness.”

“Responsibility for all this lawlessness lies with both Kiev and Washington,” Antonov emphasized.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian armed forces shelled civilian targets, including a university, in the Russian-controlled Donetsk City with banned cluster munitions twice on the same day.

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