Putin’s feared ‘meteorite’ missile is seen readied for combat in new video

Newly released footage shows the Avangard missile being readied for combat (Picture: EPA/MoD Russia)

A new video appears to show Vladimir Putin’s most deadly and feared ‘meteorite’ hypersonic strategic missile being readied for combat.

The Russian president has claimed the Avangard strikes ‘like a meteorite’ and is unstoppable by any defence system.

The weapon, which travels at 27 times the speed of sound, is fired outside the earth’s atmosphere before hitting any target in the world in less than 30 minutes, according to the Kremlin.

In the new Russian MoD footage, the 20,000mph missile is seen travelling on a hypersonic glide vehicle, which then lifts the weapon up and installs it into an underground silo-launcher.

Putin has previously boasted: ‘The Avangard is invulnerable to interception by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary.’

And he’s said it’s named after the space rock because it apparently ‘goes at a goal like a meteorite, like a burning ball, like a fireball.’

Sharing the video, a report by Pool Number 3 outlet said this week that ‘the next Avangard hypersonic missile system has entered combat duty.

‘In the Orenburg region, work continues to re-equip the Yasnensky missile formation with the Avangard silo-based missile system.

The Avangard missile blasting off in Russian territory in 2018 (Picture: EPA)

‘An intercontinental ballistic missile is loaded into a silo launcher using a special transport and loading unit.

‘The infrastructure of the position area has been prepared for the deployment of the next missile regiment on combat duty, including facilities for preparing duty shifts, combat duty and personnel rest.’

In a 2018 video, Putin said: ‘When moving towards a target, the gliding winged unit….carries out extensive manoeuvring, both laterally to several thousand [miles], and manoeuvres its altitude.

The missile can be seen travelling on a vehicle in the Orenburg Region of Russia (Picture: MoD Russia)

Vladimir Putin compared the missile to a ‘meteorite’ (Picture: EPA)

‘This makes it absolutely impenetrable to any air and missile defence.

‘The use of new composite materials made it possible to solve the problem of long-term controlled flight of a gliding winged unit, practically under conditions of plasma formation.

‘It goes at a goal like a meteorite, like a burning ball, like a fireball.’

Putin has just returned from a rare trip to China to meet with the country’s leader, his ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping, in an effort to showcase the ‘no limits’ partnership between the two countries.

A computer simulation, released by the Russian government, of the Avangard hypersonic missile in flight outside the earth’s atmosphere (Picture: EPA)

In only his second known overseas journey since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest, Putin and his entourage flew into Beijing on Tuesday morning.

The ICC, which accused him of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, obliges its 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.

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