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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin downplayed reports that Russia was deploying hypersonic missiles in its offensive against Ukraine and told CBS News he did not see such a move as a “game changer” for the stalled invasion.
The BBC reported that Moscow launched a Kinzhal (Dagger) missile at an underground weapons depot in western Ukraine on Saturday. If confirmed, it will mark the first use of a hypersonic missile capable of flying at five times the speed of sound during a combat mission.
On Sunday’s “Face the Nation” show, Mr. Austin said that if the hypersonic missile story turns out to be true, it’s an indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “trying to gain some momentum”. Are their precision-guided munitions running low? Does he not fully trust the ability of his troops to restore momentum?”
The Kinzhal missile was heralded when it was launched four years ago as one of a series of “invincible” weapons to help Russia evade enemy defenses. It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. Referring to the latest news, the BBC said that Russian MiG-31 fighters capable of carrying the Kinzhal missile have been sent to Kaliningrad, opening up “numerous” European capitals.
According to the BBC, there is no indication of where the Russian hypersonic missile was launched.
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