Russian warships and fighter jets have launched hypersonic, cruise, and ballistic missiles as part of a training exercise in the eastern Mediterranean.
The drills that began on Sunday involved over 1,000 sailors and aviators, ten ships and support vessels, 24 aircraft, and a coastal missile battery, the Russian Defense Ministry announced. Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, the commander in chief of the Russian Navy, supervised the exercises.
“Some of the combat exercises involved complex use of high-precision weapons, recently adopted by the Navy and Air Force of Russia,” the ministry said in a statement.
Tuesday’s exercises involved missile frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko firing hypersonic Zircon missiles. The submarine Novorossiysk also launched a Kalibr cruise missile at a marine target.
Rounding out the drills were test launches of Kinzhal hypersonics from MiG-31 fighters and Onyx cruise missile launches from a Bastion coastal battery.
All designated targets were hit, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
During the three-day exercise, Russian forces also practiced artillery fire, torpedo launches, bombing runs, and anti-submarine warfare.
Moscow has stressed that the exercises were carried out in compliance with the norms of international law, as well as agreements between Russia and other countries on the prevention of incidents at sea and in the air.
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