Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the launch of a frigate armed with the new Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, which he said are unique in the world, Reuters reports, Agerpres reads.

„This time the ship is equipped with the newest hypersonic missile system – Zircon -, which has no analogue,” Putin said in a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Igor Krohmal, commander of the frigate „Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov”.

„I want to wish the ship’s crew success in their service for the good of the Motherland,” the Kremlin leader said.

Minister Soigu, who specified that the frigate will sail through the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, emphasized that Zircon hypersonic missiles can defeat any anti-missile defense system, being able to reach a speed nine times greater than that of sound and having a range of action of over 1000 kilometers.

Russia, China and the US are currently engaged in a hypersonic weapons race, Reuters reports.

Agerpres