Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on January 4 that he had deployed a frigate equipped with "Zircon" hypersonic missiles in the Atlantic Ocean, sending a message that Russia would not make concessions to the West in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Putin said in a video conference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Captain Cromar of the "Marshal Gorshkov" that "I am convinced that such powerful weapons will reliably protect the Russia is not subject to possible external threats.” Putin once again emphasized that this hypersonic sea-based weapon is unparalleled in the world.

Shaoyigu added that in addition to cruising the Atlantic Ocean, the "Marshal Gorshkov" will also sail to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. He emphasized that the ship is armed with "Zircon" and can launch powerful precision strikes against enemy targets at sea and on land. The "Zircon" hypersonic missile can defeat any air defense and missile defense systems. The missile's flight speed exceeds Mach 9 and its range exceeds 1,000 kilometers.

Shaoyigu pointed out that the main mission of the "Marshal Gorshkov" voyage this time is to combat threats and maintain regional peace and stability with friendly countries.

The British "Express" wrote an article saying that Putin put the "Zircon" hypersonic missile into use, which will break through NATO's maritime defense.

The "Zircon" did not take long from its test launch in May 2022 to its service in September. This may be forced by the situation, and it is also because Russia wants to show its military power to the outside world.

The "Zircon" missile weighs twice as much as the "Tomahawk" missile, but its speed is 11 times that of the "Tomahawk", its cruise kinetic energy is 242 times, and its speed of 9 Hz means that it cannot Intercepted by existing defense systems.

In addition, the Russian army also used the "Dagger" hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile in Ukraine, but the "Dagger" missile is actually the air-launched version of the 9K720 "Iskandar" missile, which uses a rocket engine , no external air intake is required, and the comprehensive technical difficulty is low. In contrast, the "Zircon" missile uses external air intake and requires a ramjet engine. The technology is very advanced. With the advanced performance of the "Zircon", the missile has become the core of Russia's hypersonic weapons arsenal.

As for the "Zircon" hypersonic missile, Western experts question how advanced it is, while also admitting that the "Zircon" combines speed, maneuverability and altitude, making it difficult to track and intercept.

Previously, the frigate "Marshal Gorshkov" conducted exercises with the "Zircon" hypersonic missile. Putin praised the results of the exercise, calling it one of the new generation of unique missile systems in the world. In fact, as early as 2018, Putin announced in a speech that Russia was developing a variety of new hypersonic weapons, saying that they could avoid the US missile defense network and launch attacks from almost anywhere in the world. In 2019, Putin said that if the United States deploys medium- and long-range nuclear weapons in Europe, Russia will equip warships and submarines with "Zircon" hypersonic missiles and lurk outside U.S. territorial waters.

Currently, China, the United States and Russia are developing hypersonic weapons. This type of weapon can exceed five times the speed of sound and is highly maneuverable. All parties regard it as a weapon to gain an advantage over the enemy. A report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service on hypersonic weapons shows that Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles are designed to be equipped with nuclear warheads. Hypersonic missiles are far more elusive than intercontinental ballistic missiles due to their high maneuverability.

Extended reading:

Russian army says victory is irreversible Media: Putin is restoring Russia’s dignity

Right now, the situation between Russia and Ukraine is at a stalemate. Large-scale missile attack by Russian army.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Russian army attacked two Ukrainian army reconnaissance and sabotage teams, destroyed two US-made M777 howitzers, destroyed a US-made "Haimas" rocket launcher system, and shot down a Ukrainian army aircraft. Su-25 and 1 Su-24 fighter.

Russian Army

Ukraine stated that the Ukrainian army repelled Russian attacks in Soledar, Avdeyevka and other places.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues. Russian Defense Minister Shoigu recently stated that Russia has experienced severe tests in the past year and the daily order has been changed.

"The New Year is not only a festival under the current circumstances, but also a symbol of hope for a peaceful future."

It is worth mentioning that Shoigu made it clear that the victory of the Russian armed forces is irreversible.

In fact, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has lasted for more than October. From Russia's initial blitzkrieg to the Ukrainian capital to the siege of the Mariupol Steel Plant, Russia's strategic calculations have been constantly adjusted amid the dilemma.

From the initial panic and hasty response to the war, Ukraine re-captured Kherson and launched a strategic counterattack in Donetsk. Russia and Ukraine had offensive and defensive attacks on each other, and each had its own gains and losses.

The well-known Russian scholar Alexander Dugin believes that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is the world's "first multipolar war". In this conflict, Russia fights for the right of every civilization to choose its own path. , and the West hopes to maintain its totalitarianism, but the West is obsessed with the impossible dream of hegemony.

Indeed, the war between the two sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not that simple. The entanglement of historical longitude and reality makes black and white a bit more gray.

Recently, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on NATO member states to provide more weapons to Ukraine.

"It is in the security interests of all of us that I call on our allies to do more to ensure that Ukraine wins and Putin does not win," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg file map

Previously, in his speech, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy asked the West to provide more weapons and air defense systems to help fight against Russia.

Recently, the United States has set an "example" and announced that it will provide nearly 2 billion US dollars in additional military assistance to Ukraine. NATO countries are also providing continuous military assistance to Ukraine. British Defense Secretary Wallace recently stated that the UK will provide 2.3 billion pounds of support to Ukraine in 2023, which includes both military equipment and non-military support.

Due to the continued intervention of the United States and the West, there are too many variables in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the most concerning of which is nuclear war.

Whether the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will escalate or even trigger a nuclear war is not unfounded. From the perspective of Ukraine, thanks to the support of NATO, it has become more emboldened and has begun to carry out strategic strikes deep into Russian territory.

Facing disruptions from the United States and the West, Russia will naturally not sit still. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a presidential decree allowing buyers from "unfriendly countries" to use foreign currencies to pay arrears for the purchase of Russian natural gas. .

Starting from April 1, 2022, Russia requires buyers from "unfriendly countries" to use rubles to purchase Russian natural gas. Otherwise, they will be deemed to have failed to comply with the obligations stipulated in the natural gas contract, and the validity of the contract will be revoked. termination.

In addition, Russia’s 2023 weapons production plan was completed in November, which includes the content required to complete the “special military operations” mission.

Putin File Map

Putin once said, "The disintegration of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine shows that Putin is using his actions to show the world that Russia, as the successor state of the Soviet Union, must regain its lost territory in order to restore Russia's dignity.