Ukraine Receives Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles and 155mm Artillery from Allies
Russia Announces Successful Test Launch of 'Zircon'
In 2019, a U.S. Navy destroyer fired a Harpoon surface-to-surface missile during the Pacific Vanguard (PACVAN) exercise. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Ukraine has received Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 155mm artillery from allied countries Denmark and the United States, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense announced.
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, stated in a press release on the 28th (local time), "We are using three types of 155mm artillery on the front lines: M777, FH70, and CAESAR."
Reznikov added, "Just in March, it was unimaginable to use three types of 155mm artillery," and said, "Ukraine has already been supplied with M109 self-propelled howitzers," emphasizing that "this is the result of cooperation among several countries."
The M777 and M109 mentioned by Minister Reznikov are howitzers provided by the U.S. military to Ukraine; the FH70 is a towed howitzer jointly developed by the UK, Germany, and Italy; and the CAESAR is a self-propelled howitzer developed in France.
Additionally, Minister Reznikov revealed that Ukraine has received Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark, stating, "The acquisition of Harpoon is also the result of cooperation among multiple countries."
The Harpoon is a representative anti-ship missile currently used by the U.S. military.
As Ukraine continues to make gains against Russia, Western bloc countries including the United States are providing weapons with longer ranges.
Accordingly, on the 26th (local time), major foreign media outlets reported, citing multiple U.S. government officials and diplomatic sources, that the U.S. and Ukrainian governments exchanged views on the risk of war escalation if Ukraine attacks deep inside Russia using Western-supplied weapons.
Until now, Russian officials have repeatedly claimed that Ukrainian forces crossed the border to attack, but Ukraine has not targeted major Russian cities or military facilities inland.
Meanwhile, facing fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, Russia recently appeared to showcase its strength by conducting a series of tests of new weapons that attracted international attention.
On the 28th (local time), major foreign media reported that Russia successfully test-fired the hypersonic cruise missile "Zircon," striking a target approximately 1,000 km away.
The Zircon missile is Russia's hypersonic weapon praised by President Vladimir Putin as an "unrivaled next-generation weapon system." Although it is a cruise missile, its top speed is known to exceed eight times the speed of sound. Last year, Russia conducted tests launching Zircon missiles from warships and submarines.
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