The Russian defense ministry released footage showing the Northern Fleet’s Admiral Golovko frigate launching a hypersonic Zircon missile vertically before it accelerated at a sharp angle toward a target in the Barents Sea.
“According to objective monitoring data received in real time, the target was destroyed by a direct hit,” the ministry said.
First unveiled by President Vladimir Putin in 2019, the Zircon is touted by Moscow as one of its most advanced weapons, capable of flying at up to nine times the speed of sound and striking targets at distances of more than 1,000 kilometers.
The exercises also involved long-range anti-submarine aircraft and Su-34 crews practicing bombing runs against ground targets.
The Zapad drills, which began on September 12, are officially designed to improve joint command and coordination in the event of an attack on Russia or Belarus. Moscow and Minsk have insisted the maneuvers are purely defensive and not directed against NATO.
Yet in Poland, the exercises are being watched warily. The war games come just days after Warsaw said more than 20 Russian drones violated its airspace during strikes on Ukraine on September 9–10 — the first time Poland has fired on Russian drones since the start of the war. NATO responded with its own “Eastern Sentry” operation to reassure allies along the eastern flank.
The authorities in Warsaw have deemed the Russian-Belarusian military exercises a potential threat to Poland’s security and have closed the border with Belarus.
Polish officials have repeatedly voiced concern that Zapad drills, held near their borders, are not just routine exercises but potential rehearsals for escalation.
The combination of live-fire hypersonic missile launches, long-range bomber sorties, and Belarus’s participation has reinforced fears in Warsaw that Russia is signaling its readiness to pressure NATO’s eastern members.
(mo)
Source: PAP, Reuters