Russia Developing Hypersonic Weapons 'on Equal Level With United States'

Russia is developing hypersonic weapons on par with the United States, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The level of Russia's hypersonic weapons' development is as good as that of the United States, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday.

"We have said about it before, about the fact that we are developing our own systems within the framework of the issues related not to supersonic, but to hypersonic weapons on an equal level with the United States. However I would not like to comment on every leak connected to some sources in the defense industry or in the defense ministry," Rogozin said, commenting media reports about the country's advanced Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.

He added that the research of these weapon systems was a high priority issue because of its capabilities to override missile defense systems.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that new samples of hypersonic weapon, as well as other advanced weapons would be supplied to the Russian Armed Forces by 2025 within the framework of the 2018-2025 State Armaments Program.