New show of force in sight? On Sunday, President Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian fleet would acquire “in the coming months” a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile which “knows no obstacles”.
The Russian Fleet “is capable of inflicting a lightning response to all those who decide to undermine our sovereignty and freedom”, assured the head of the Kremlin, during a naval parade in Saint Petersburg (north-west), emphasizing that its military equipment “is subject to continuous improvement”.
“Invincible” weapons according to Russia
With a maximum range of around a thousand kilometres, the Zircon cruise missiles belong to a family of new weapons developed by Russia and which Mr. Putin describes as “invincible”. Their trials have been carried out since October 2020.
According to Vladimir Putin, the Admiral Gorchkov frigate will be the first Russian ship to be equipped with these missiles, while the area of deployment of this ship will be chosen according to “Russia’s security interests”. “Homeland is a sacred notion for all of us, and defending it is a duty and the meaning of life for each of us,” added the master of the Kremlin.
A parry and an attack
On Sunday, Vladimir Putin oversaw the naval parade in Saint Petersburg which brought together more than 40 ships and submarines and around 3,500 military personnel in this former imperial capital on the occasion of Russian Fleet Day, widely celebrated across the country. country.
In Sevastopol, in Crimea annexed by Russia, the festivities were however canceled after a drone attack which targeted the staff of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on Sunday morning, injuring six.
The attack was blamed by local authorities on “Ukrainian nationalists”, as Russia faces a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Kherson region, not far from Crimea. Ukraine has denied its involvement in this attack.