Russia flexes navy muscle with hypersonic missiles and bombers throughout drills

Russia mentioned on Sunday (September 14, 2025) that it had fired a Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic cruise missile at a goal within the Barents Sea and that Sukoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers had carried out strikes as a part of joint navy workouts with Belarus.

Russia’s “Zapad”, or West, joint strategic train with Belarus started on Sept. 12 aiming to enhance navy command and coordination within the occasion of an assault on both Russia or Belarus, the Defence Ministry mentioned.

Moscow and Minsk have mentioned the workouts are completely defensive and that they don’t intend to assault any NATO member, although the U.S.-led navy alliance introduced an “Eastern Sentry” operation after the incursion of Russian drones into Poland on Sept. 9-10.

Russia’s defence ministry launched footage of the Northern Fleet’s Admiral Golovko frigate firing a Zircon hypersonic missile at a goal within the Barents Sea. The footage confirmed a missile being launched vertically from the frigate after which 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 mentioned.

The ministry mentioned that long-range anti-submarine plane of the Northern Fleet’s blended aviation corps have been additionally concerned within the train. It mentioned Su-34 crews practiced a bombing strike towards floor targets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned in 2019 that the Zircon can fly at 9 occasions the pace of sound and hit targets at sea and on land at a variety of greater than 1,000 km (600 miles).

Russian media sources say the missile, often called the 3M22 Zircon in Russia and the SS-N-33 by NATO, has a variety of 400 km to 1,000 km, and that its warhead mass is round 300 kg-400 kg.