The Russian news agency TASS quoted a source close to the Russian defense industry as saying that the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov "will perform a training launch of the Zircon hypersonic missile during joint exercises with the navies of South Africa and China."
Source. CNN.
Details. The Admiral Gorshkov frigate, armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, has docked in Cape Town, South Africa, ahead of Russia's joint military exercises with South Africa and China, the Russian Consulate in Cape Town said on Monday.
"The battleship has arrived in the Mother City on its way to Durban, where it will take part in joint naval exercises between South Africa, China and Russia scheduled for February 17-27," the consulate said on Twitter.
The drills come as Russia approaches the first anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine and are also an opportunity for Moscow to show that it is not completely isolated on the world stage, despite widespread international condemnation of the invasion.
In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor announced naval exercises after their talks in Pretoria, during Lavrov's first visit to South Africa since the invasion of Ukraine.
Background. Putin reportedly sent a navy frigate with hypersonic missiles to the Mediterranean Sea.