Russia has fired hypersonic missiles in the eastern Mediterranean as part of drills being carried out by the Russian Navy.
Frigates launched Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic anti-ship missiles, while a submarine fired a Kalibr cruise missile, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a Telegram post.
Both weapons are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to experts.
Zircon rockets can reach speeds of nearly 7,000mph, according to Russian officials, and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has previously claimed that the cutting-edge weapons has “no equivalent in the world”.
A nearby missile system also conducted a live launch of Russia‘s Onyx anti-ship missile, the ministry added.
The number of Russian troops stationed in the eastern Mediterranean had also been “increased” to take part in the drill, the statement said.
“The exercise involves over 1,000 servicemen, ten ships and support vessels, 24 aircraft, including MiG-31I fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces with Kinzhal [Dagger] hypersonic missiles and the Bastion coastal missile system,” the ministry said.
It added that the exercise was “being conducted in compliance with current international law, as well as agreements between the Russian Federation and foreign states on the prevention of incidents at sea outside territorial waters, as well as in the airspace above them”.
It also published images purporting to show the launch of a number of missiles from vessels and land.
Images also showed a huge explosion after a target in open water was struck, The Moscow Times reports.
The defense ministry said the exercise on Tuesday was carried out to “test the combined activities of Russian Navy and Air Force troop groups”, and saw “precision sea-based missiles were launched in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea”.
There is a Russian base in Syria at Tartus but the statement didn’t specify where the exercise had taken place.
Russia‘s latest flexing of its military muscles comes as its forces have been carrying out air strikes in Syria in a bid to counter a rebel offensive that swept into the second city of Aleppo.
Putin’s government has been a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad Assad since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
Meanwhile, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which began almost three years ago, grinds on.
Kyiv’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his military has tested a new domestically-made missile and is ramping up production of rockets to repel Russia.
“We can thank our Ukrainian missile developers. We are speeding up the production,” Zelensky said, providing no further details.
Ukraine is upping domestic production ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, whose messaging on the campaign trail has thrown Washington’s long-term support of Kyiv’s war effort through military aid into doubt.