Russia conducts hypersonic missile drills in eastern Mediterranean amid Syrian rebel offensive

Russia’s army on Tuesday said that it had launched hypersonic missiles during naval and air force drills in the eastern Mediterranean that comes as its ally Syria loses ground to Islamist rebels.

The Russian military also stated that the number of troops deployed in the region had been “increased” to support the exercises.

In recent days, Russia has conducted airstrikes to counter a rebel offensive, which has resulted in President Bashar al-Assad’s forces losing control of the city of Aleppo.

Moscow has been a key supporter of Assad since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

“On 3 December, during an exercise to test the combined activities of Russian Navy and Air Force troop groups, precision sea-based missiles were launched in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea,” AFP quoted Russia’s defence ministry as saying in a post on Telegram.

Russian vessels test fired hypersonic Zirkon missiles and a Kalibr cruise missile, the ministry added.

An Onyx cruise missile was launched “from a designated area on the Mediterranean coast,” it added.

Russia has a naval base in Syria at Tartus but the statement did not say where the drills were carried out.

“In the course of preparing for the exercise, the Russian armed forces’ troops grouping in the eastern Mediterranean was increased,” the ministry added.

More than 1,000 forces, 10 vessels and 24 aircraft were taking part in the drills, it said.

The ministry published images showing the launch of several missiles from ships and land and images of a target in open water being hit and exploding.

With inputs from agencies