Russia launches missiles during joint military exercises with Belarus

Russia said on Sunday that it had fired a Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic cruise missile at a target in the Barents Sea and that Sukhoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers had carried out strikes as part of joint military exercises with Belarus.

Russia's "Zapad," or West, joint strategic exercise with Belarus began on September 12, aiming to improve military command and coordination in the event of an attack on either Russia or Belarus, the Defense Ministry said.

Moscow and Minsk have said the exercises are exclusively defensive and that they do not intend to attack any NATO member, though the U.S.–led military alliance announced an "Eastern Sentry" operation after the incursion of drones into Poland on September 9-10.

Russia's Defense Ministry released footage of the Northern Fleet's Admiral Golovko frigate firing a Zircon hypersonic missile at a target in the Barents Sea. The footage showed a missile being launched vertically from the frigate and then powering off at an angle into the horizon.

"According to objective monitoring data received in real time, the target was destroyed by a direct hit," the ministry said.

The ministry said that long-range anti-submarine aircraft of the Northern Fleet's mixed aviation corps were also involved in the exercise. It said Su-34 crews practiced a bombing strike against ground targets.