Russian authorities reported Wednesday that they have deployed for the first time the frigate ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ with Zircon hypersonic missiles on board on what will constitute a «long voyage» that will take the warship to traverse Atlantic, Indian and Mediterranean waters.
The ceremony to recommission the vessel in question took place throughout the day under the supervision of the president, Vladimir Putin, who was connected via videoconference.
The ship’s commander, Igor Krojmal, has indicated that the vessel has undergone a full training process before starting the voyage. «The ship carries ammunition for Zircon and Kalibr missiles, air defense material, torpedoes and artillery. The crew is ready to carry out combat actions,» Krojmal said during the ceremony, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu pointed out that the frigate will make a long voyage and stressed that it is capable of «striking the enemy from the sea». He stressed that «the Zircon missiles can reach high speeds and evade anti-aircraft defense systems».
«The campaign is focused on countering Russian threats and maintaining regional peace and stability together with friendly countries», explained the minister, who stated that «after the training exercises, the team will test hypersonic weapons and long-range missiles under different scenarios».
The Zircon are new Russian hypersonic missiles developed since 2018 by Russia. For Putin, these missiles «will make it possible to adequately protect Russia from external threats» in the midst of the war in Ukraine.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
