THE Russian military says it has run a successful test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile capable of sneaking through enemy defenses.

A video posted by the Defense Ministry on Sunday showed a MiG-31 fighter jet launching a Kinzhal (Dagger) missile during a training flight. The ministry said the missile, which carried a conventional warhead, hit a practice target at a firing range in southern Russia.

President Vladimir Putin named Kinzhal this month among Russia’s new nuclear weapons he said would bolster the nation’s military capability and render the U.S. missile defense useless.

Putin said Kinzhal flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers and can carry a nuclear or a conventional warhead. The military said it’s capable of hitting both land targets and navy ships.

(SD-Agencies)