The Russian military is denying reports that it was planning to test its new Zircon hypersonic missiles during naval drills off the coast of South Africa this week.
China's navy is also participating in the Indian Ocean exercises, which come at a time when Russia's relationship with the West is at a low point and ties between China and the United States are strained, the Associated Press reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted China's most senior foreign policy official at the Kremlin this week, raising concerns about the strengthening of the country's relationship with China, and that Beijing might be ready to offer Moscow stronger support for its war in Ukraine, the AP added.
The pre-planned joint naval exercise off South Africa's coast started Wednesday and was expected to continue for five days, CBS News reported. The timing coincides with the one-year anniversary of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Rumors that Russia would be testing its hypersonic missiles during the drills spread earlier this month after a Russian news agency reported that a warship equipped with the Zircon missiles was planning to launch one at a surface target more than 310 miles away, according to CBS.
Earlier this week, a Russian commander confirmed that the warship is equipped with the advanced missiles but had no plans to fire one of the weapons, CBS added. The commander said the exercises would focus on maritime security, including the fight against piracy, the AP reported.
Russia has said the Zircon missiles can penetrate any missile defense systems by flying at an astounding 7,000 miles per hour — around nine times the speed of sound — to strike targets at sea and on land, the AP reported. The missiles have a range of more than 620 miles and are said to be harder to detect and intercept.
Meantime, Russia appears to have carried out a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that apparently failed just days before President Joe Biden was in Ukraine earlier this week, CNN reported. The land-based SARMAT missile -– nicknamed Satan II -- is said to be capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads over a range exceeding 6,835 miles, according to the report. The country previously tested the weapon in April 2022.
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