"Winged missile" ... Russian President Putin's birthday gift

Russia scored a successful test of a supersonic anti-ship missile, in an experiment that President Vladimir Putin considered "a great event for the whole country," coinciding with his birthday celebration.


In a videoconference on Wednesday, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army, told Putin - who celebrated his 68th birthday on Wednesday - that this was the "first time" that the missile had succeeded in hitting a target at sea.

He added, "The launch missions were carried out. The shooting test was successful."

The Chief of Staff stated that the missile hit its target 450 kilometers in the Barents Sea within four and a half minutes at a speed of Mach 8, which is eight times the speed of sound.

Putin responded by saying that this successful experience was "a great event, not only for our armed forces, but for Russia as a whole."

He added that this missile is in addition to Russia's "ultra-modern weapons systems that are unmatched in the world, which will undoubtedly enhance the defense capabilities of our country in the long term."

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