Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Russia said on Sunday it had used a hypersonic missile to target a fuel deport in Ukraine, the second consecutive day it has launched the cutting-edge weapon.
A strike on Saturday targeted an underground weapons facility, which Russia said was the first time it had used the advanced weaponry since the war began. The BBC could not verify Moscow’s claims.
- Hypersonic missiles can fly in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound
- They are considered more maneuverable than conventional missiles and are more capable of avoiding interception from air defense
- Russia’s defense ministry said the missile used to target the arms depot in the Ivano-Frankivsk region and the fuel deport near Mykolaiv is capable of reaching targets at a range of more than 2,000km (1,242 miles) and hitting speeds of over 6,000km/h (3,728mph)
- Last year, Russia said it had successfully test-fired a hypersonic missile from a frigate in the White Sea off its north-western coast
- It said it aimed to include the weapon when arming Russian cruisers and submarines
- Besides Russia – China, the US, and at least five other countries are working on hypersonic missile technology, though American research is believed to have fallen behind