Russian president Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian military used the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile on Ukraine for the first time.
“The Zircon hypersonic missile was used in the special military operation,” Putin stated while addressing to the federal assembly.
He also mentioned that Avangard complexes, comprising ICBMs equipped with hypersonic gliding warheads, and the laser-based air defence weapon ‘Peresvet,’ were also on combat duty.
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Zircon and Avangard are two hypersonic missiles among the six strategic weapons unveiled by Putin in March 2018. These six strategic weapons were claimed to have the capability to evade existing missile defence systems and can carry nuclear warheads.
Zircon strike on Ukraine
As we previously reported, Ukraine alleged that Russia used the Zircon missile based on missile debris with markings ‘3M22’ on February 7.
Now, Russia has officially confirmed the Zircon missile strike on Ukraine, posing a new challenge to Ukrainian air defences.
As reported earlier, Russia might not need to use such an expensive missile when other missiles, such as Kinzhal, Iskander M, and Kh22, have already been performing well, despite a few being shot down.
Zircon is reportedly capable of travelling at a speed of Mach 8 with a strike range of over 1000 km against both land and maritime targets.
According to reports, Russia has deployed 3 warships equipped with Zircon missiles, with 7 more warships under construction to be equipped with these missiles.
Given that Zircon is emerging as a deterrent in both conventional and nuclear conflict aspects for Russia, using such an expensive missile on Ukraine might be to showcase its capabilities to Western countries.
Also read: Russia successfully tests S-500 system against hypersonic missile
Avangard: A powerful nuclear deterrent
In 2019, the Russian state-owned news agency Tass reported that Russia puts the first regiment of Avangard hypersonic missiles on combat duty.
Vladimir Putin once again reminded the West about these hypersonic glide vehicles, claiming they have a speed of Mach 27 and an intercontinental range of over 5500 km.
While current ICBM warheads reach speeds between Mach 20 and 25, Avangard’s speed of Mach 27, if true, while travelling within Earth’s atmosphere can evade all existing missile defence systems and potentially challenge future systems as well.
Peresvet: The air defense and anti-satellite laser weapon
Vladimir Putin first announced such a weapon in March 2018, apart from the six strategic weapons he unveiled at that time.
In May 2022, Russia’s deputy prime minister Borisov, stated that the Peresvet laser weapon is already in service and being serially supplied to Russian troops.
It is capable of burning drones at a range of 5 km and potentially blinding low earth orbit satellite’s reconnaissance systems at altitudes of up to 1500 km during their flypast using laser radiation, he added.
Also read: Ukraine plans to produce 1 million drones per year
While Russia has already conducted several flight tests of its anti-satellite weapon PL19 Nudol, also known as the A235 system, laser-based weapons are cost-effective and can quickly disable several satellites in a short period.
During his address to the federal assembly, Putin stated that Peresvet was on combat duty. Given its anti-satellite capabilities, the Peresvet weapon marks a significant advancement in Russia’s defence technology.
Conclusion
As the Russia-Ukraine war surpasses two years, tensions between Russia and NATO escalates. In a bid to deter NATO, Putin announced the use of hypersonic weapons on Ukraine and hinted at the existence of two more super weapons, raising concerns among Western nations.
