Russia to send aircraft with hypersonic missiles to Black Sea: Putin

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + News Websites
19 Oct 2023 02:22

The Russian President says the aircraft will exercise visual control over what is happening in the Mediterranean Sea.

In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, a MiG-31 fighter of the Russian air force takes off at an air base during military drills in Tver region, Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Bloomberg reported that Russia is set to send aircraft equipped with hypersonic missiles, which surpass the speed of sound, toward the Black Sea.

The news website said Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the deployment of these aircraft and the initiation of round-the-clock patrols and ongoing missions over neutral waters in the region.

Putin explained to journalists in Beijing, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, that the aircraft are of the MiG-31 type armed with Kinzhals missiles, with a range of over 1000 kilometers at a speed of 9 Mach.

According to state-run Russian news agency TASS, the Kinzhal represents Russia's most recent development, consisting of hypersonic aero-ballistic missiles deployed on specifically modified MiG-31K interceptor aircraft. The Kinzhal missile possesses qualities such as reduced radar detectability and exceptional agility, making it capable of engaging both land and sea targets.

"This is not a threat, but we will exercise visual control — control with weapons — over what is happening in the Mediterranean Sea," he pointed out.

The Russian leader mentioned that the United States has dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean Sea in response to the ongoing war between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation.

He added that Washington's delivery of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine is evidence of its deep involvement in the conflict.

Putin considered that all of this is heating up the atmosphere against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

It is noteworthy that on September 23rd of last year, the Financial Times reported that US President Joe Biden decided to send tactical ATACMS missiles to Kiev, emphasizing that the missiles were equipped with cluster munitions instead of a single warhead.