Russia's hypersonic missiles spark arms race fears amid US transition

[Anchor]

Concerns are rising that Russia's deployment of new hypersonic missiles could reignite an arms race.

However, with the change in the U.S. administration being the biggest variable, there are also suggestions that Russia may be open to negotiations.

Reporter Park Seok-ho has the details.

[Report]

In February, Russia used the hypersonic missile Zircon, launched from the sea, to strike Kyiv, Ukraine.

Another hypersonic missile, Kinzhal, which can be launched from fighter jets, has also been deployed in this war.

[Konashenkov/Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson/Mar. 2022: "The hypersonic missile Kinzhal destroyed an underground storage facility where Ukrainian missiles and ammunition were kept."]

Moreover, they have also used a new ground-launched hypersonic missile, Oreshnik, in response to Western missiles.

They boast that it is difficult to defend against these various hypersonic missiles, which can also be equipped with nuclear warheads and can be operated across land, sea, and air.

These hypersonic missiles have a range of 1,000 to 5,000 km, allowing them to directly strike NATO countries in Europe, but they cannot reach the United States.

While strongly warning European countries against supporting Ukraine, there are interpretations that they have left the door open for negotiations with a potential Trump administration in the U.S.

[Vladimir Putin/Russian President: "Russia has always preferred peaceful resolution of conflicts and is still ready for that."]

However, there are concerns that if a ceasefire is not achieved even after the inauguration of a second Trump administration, a new nuclear arms race, including the development of hypersonic missiles, may begin.

Russia has already withdrawn its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty last year, and President-elect Trump also declared the termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the U.S. and Russia during his first term.

This is KBS News, Park Seok-ho.