Pentagon experts question the veracity of the statements by the Russian General Staff of the Armed Forces to the effect that it used tactical hypersonic missiles to destroy a Ukrainian military base.

The Pentagon, which lags far behind in the development of such weapons, cannot conceive that Russia possesses them.

This is no minor issue, for if Russia is indeed sitting on them, it can hit any target anywhere in the world, without anyone being able to intercept them. These missiles can, without distinction, carry conventional or nuclear warheads. In other words, if Russia actually has hypersonic weapons, it means that the US military arsenal is de facto obsolete.

In 2018, merely four years ago, President Vladimir Putin told the world that his scientists had succeeded in mastering this technology and that his country was experimenting with both tactical and strategic hypersonic missiles [1]. The Pentagon had not deemed it necessary to seriously invest in this type of weaponry and opted instead to develop its “anti-missile” shield, which simply won’t cut it against hypersonic speeds.

[1] “The new Russian nuclear arsenal restores world bipolarity”, by Thierry Meyssan, Translation Pete Kimberley, Voltaire Network, 6 March 2018.