Kirby asserts that the US is closely collaborating with friends and partners, including NATO, in an effort to rein in Russia’s ‘destabilising actions.’
The Russian Embassy in the United States was unambiguous in a late Monday tweet warning Washington against deploying hypersonic missiles in Europe.
The tweet is preceded by a red exclamation point and said that any hypersonic missile deployment in Europe would be very disruptive. Their short flight duration would leave with little to no decision-making time, increasing the probability of accidental confrontation.
The tweet comes as the US seems to be shifting its focus away from railguns and toward hypersonic technologies.
On Monday, Pentagon press secretary John F. Kirby attended a news conference and was questioned by a reporter about Russia’s assertion that it was successful in testing a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile. According to Reuters, Russian President Putin asserted that the weapon is unique in the world.
Naturally, in a military confrontation, the nation that strikes first and decisively wins. While the United States is considered to have the world’s most powerful submarine fleet, Russia’s hypersonic progression seems to have been noted, particularly given that these missiles are reportedly being developed with nuclear capability.
Kirby said that they are definitely aware of President Putin’s allegations and that it is important to highlight that Russia’s new hypersonic missiles have the ability to destabilise the region and pose major dangers due to their nuclear-capable status.
Kirby said that the United States is cooperating closely with friends and partners, including NATO, to attempt to rein in such disruptive actions.
The Pentagon did not immediately reply to an email sent by Fox News after the tweet from the Russian embassy.
According to Al Jazeera, the missile was launched from a vessel in the White Sea. Russia said the missile reached seven times more than the speed of sound and slammed into a target located about 217 miles distant.