On Sunday, Russia released images of its launch of a 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile from a frigate in the Barents Sea, in the Arctic Ocean, near NATO borders. The launch comes against a backdrop of rising tensions with the West, just days after several Russian drones violated the airspace of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries Poland and Romania.
The Zircon test is part of the Zapad 2025 joint maneuvers with Belarus, a week of military exercises aimed at assessing defensive and coordination capabilities between the two allied countries. It also serves to show that Russia’s military force has not lost its strength, despite heavy losses more than three years after the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
In the video originally shared on Telegram, the crew aboard the frigate Admiral Golovko fires the Zircon at a target in the Barents Sea, an area bounded to the west by the Norwegian Sea. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the target was destroyed in a direct hit by its hypersonic missile, which can reach a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers and travel at Mach 9—nine times the speed of sound.
The images also show exercises with Sukoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers, a two-seater fighter-bomber that can carry up to eight tons of armament and can fly up to 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers) without refueling (or more than 4,350 miles, or 7,000 km, with external tanks).
There is evidence that Russia has employed hypersonic missiles against civilian targets in Ukraine, such as the Zircon or Kinzhal, which are virtually impossible to intercept. This is not only because of their speed, but also because of their maneuvering capabilities, allowing them to change course mid-flight to evade defense systems (albeit in a limited way).
Deliberate Provocation or Accident?
This week, NATO set off international alarms due to a series of Russian drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace, a violation that had not been recorded so far in the Russia-Ukraine war, at least not on this scale. On September 10, at least 19 drones from Russia invaded Polish airspace, being intercepted and shot down by NATO fighters with no major damage on the ground. The incident was described by the Polish government as an “unprecedented violation” and a “large-scale provocation,” expressions shared by Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general.
Poland then invoked Article 4 of the NATO Charter, which establishes a mechanism for consultation between NATO members “to exchange views and information and discuss issues before reaching agreement and taking action.” Following this debate among member countries, they launched Operation Eastern Sentinel, a military initiative to strengthen the defensive posture on the alliance’s eastern flank through the deployment of advanced fighters and defense systems, among other measures, to counter missile and drone threats.
The alerts were triggered again on September 13, when Romania detected a drone, allegedly from Russia, in its airspace. Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace generated widespread international condemnation. The United States expressed support for the affected countries. “We consider this an unacceptable, regrettable and dangerous event,” said Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state. “No doubt the drones were intentionally launched. The question is whether they were intended to enter Poland.” The Russian government claimed it was not targeting Poland, while Belarus suggested the drones deviated from their initial trajectory.
Notwithstanding the attempts to offer explanations, the joint Zapad 2025 military exercises between Russia and Belarus do little to reduce tensions in Eastern Europe. Although both nations insist that the exercises are defensive in nature, the proximity of the exercises to NATO borders, as well as tests of hypersonic missiles in the Arctic, raise new concerns among Atlantic Alliance member countries.
