BY – Oluwafunmilayo Ogedengbe
The leader of Russia’s largest shipbuilding company has mentioned that the country is currently outfitting its new nuclear submarines with advanced Zircon hypersonic missiles.
“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will … be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), <span;>told the RIA state news agency in an interview published on Monday.
“Work in this direction is already underway.”
Yasen-class submarines, designated as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered submarines armed with cruise missiles. These advanced submarines are developed to replace older Soviet nuclear attack submarines, forming a crucial component of the military and fleet modernization initiative.
The sea-launched Zircon hypersonic missiles, boasting a range of 900 km (560 miles), achieve speeds far exceeding the sound barrier, rendering them challenging to intercept.
“The armament of serial frigates with this system will be carried out in accordance with the plan of the Russian Ministry of Defense during their construction and operation,” Rakhmanov added.
During the night, the port city of Odesa experienced two separate rounds of Russian drone and missile attacks, resulting in injuries to at least three individuals. Additionally, tragic consequences unfolded on Sunday when Russian strikes in Kherson claimed the lives of seven individuals, including a 22-day-old infant.
In response to the fatal Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledges a response characterized by complete fairness. Concurrently, Moscow authorities report several instances of Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks on Russian soil.
Earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s intention to commence large-scale distribution of Zircon missiles as a strategic measure to enhance its nuclear capabilities.
The Russian multi-purpose frigate Admiral Gorshkov, having demonstrated its striking capabilities in the western Atlantic Ocean earlier this year, has already been armed with Zircon missiles.