The first warship fitted with new Zircon hypersonic missiles is set to begin routine service early next year, the Russian president has said
Putin provides details on Russia’s hypersonic missiles
The first naval vessel fitted with Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles is set to begin its routine combat duty early in January, Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed. The president made the remarks on Wednesday during a meeting with the country’s top defense officials.
“In early January next year, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate will enter combat service with the latest, I repeat once again, not having any analogues in the world, sea-launched Zircon hypersonic missile systems,” Putin stated.
At the meeting Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu also announced that silo-based Sarmat ICBMs are already being deployed into Russia’s strategic missile forces.
The new hypersonic missiles, officially known as the 3M22 Zircon, have been actively tested over the past few years, after first being announced by Putin back in 2019. The Admiral Gorshkov, a modern missile frigate with Russia’s Northern Fleet, has already performed multiple test launches of the new missiles.
Russia will continue to modernize nuclear arsenal – PutinREAD MORE: Russia will continue to modernize nuclear arsenal – Putin
Still, little is known about the weapon, which is heavily shrouded in secrecy. The projectiles are reportedly able to reach speeds of at least 9 Mach – just over 11,000kph – while retaining the ability to maneuver, making them effectively impossible to intercept. The projectiles can cover a distance of at least 1,500km (932 miles), Igor Krokhmal, commander of the Admiral Gorshkov, revealed early this year.
The new missiles reportedly fit into the standard launch tubes of Russia’s naval vessels, which are equipped with older missiles such as the cruise Kalibr or anti-ship Onix missiles. This compatibility potentially allows any Russian cruise missile-carrying vessel to be fitted with the Zircon. Apart from surface ships, the new missiles are expected to be fitted on certain cruise missile-capable submarines, after the first submarine test-launch of the Zircon performed by the nuclear-powered Severodvinsk late in 2021.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568671-putin-hypersonic-cruise-missiles/
China has suspended several 2025 export controls on strategic materials — including rare earths, superhard materials, and lithium batteries – for a year. Is this a concession to the US, or a move in a far more complex game?
"The first aim of China’s export controls was to consolidate its leverage in negotiations. The second was to establish a long-term framework for managing such controls," says Yana Leksyutina, deputy director at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
Сhina could activate this mechanism at any moment, and now everyone knows it’s a lever it holds, she explains to Sputnik.
Balancing the Mineral Market
"The moratorium on export bans to the US essentially resets the rare earth market to where it was previously," Jeff J. Brown, author of 'The China Trilogy' and founder of Seek Truth From Facts Foundation, tells Sputnik.
In the meantime, there will be a global rush by the US and its NATO allies to acquire as many rare earth ...
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The impact of the ongoing federal shutdown on the US economy is far worse than expected because it is lasting much longer than anticipated, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Friday.
"The impact on the economy is far worse than we expected, because it's gone on for so long," Hassett told Fox Business. "I think we were thinking that we could have at least 3% [GDP] growth in the fourth quarter. I think now we're expecting something like half that because of the harm [caused] by the Democrats' policy.".......more here
https://sputnikglobe.com/20251107/federal-shutdown-hitting-us-economy-harder-than-expected--white-house-1123074810.html
Dozens of Palestinians, foreign activists, and journalists have been wounded as Israeli army-backed settlers carried out coordinated assaults across the occupied West Bank.
The attacks took place on Saturday, with the biggest number of the casualties, namely 17 people, being caused after settlers raided the outskirts of the Abu Falah village, northeast of the city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported. Those injured included foreign activists.
According to the agency, settlers also torched a home, while Israeli forces attacked the area, targeting the residents, who had gathered near the scene. The latter incident, though, did not lead to any casualties.
In another wave of violence, settlers launched attacks on Palestinian farmers, journalists, and foreign activists participating in the annual olive harvest across several towns, leaving many with fractures and bruises.
The attacks were most severe in Beita, south of Nablus, where settlers descended from nearby outposts and ambushed ...
