Russia’s hypersonic missile-armed ship to patrol global seasRussian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sent a frigate armed with the country’s latest Zircon hypersonic missile on a trans-ocean cruise in a show of force as tensions with the West escalate over the war in Ukraine.Russia touts that the Zircon missile can evade any Western air defenses by flying at an astounding 7,000 miles per hour (11,265 km/h).EU hails high gas storage levels despite Russian cutsUkraine conflict casts shadow on Russia as it enters 2023Putin, Xi vow closer ties as Russia bombards Ukraine againPutin oversees commissioning of new Russian navy warshipsTHE NEW WEAPONPutin has hailed Zircon as a potent weapon capable of penetrating any existing anti-missile defenses by flying nine times faster than the speed of sound at a range of more than 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles).Months before ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin put the U.S. and its NATO allies on notice when he warned that Russian warships armed with Zircon would give Russia a capability to strike the adversary’s “decision-making centers” within minutes if deployed in neutral waters.Speaking via video link during Wednesday’s sendoff ceremony, Putin again praised Zircon as a “unique weapon” without an “equivalent for it in any country in the world.”In response, the Pentagon said it is monitoring the ship, and did not think it presented a threat that could not be countered."