Russia said on Sunday that it had fired a Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic cruise missile at a target in the Barents Sea and that Sukoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers had carried out strikes as part of joint military exercises with Belarus.

Russia's "Zapad", or West, joint strategic exercise with Belarus began on Sept. 12, aiming to improve military command and coordination in the event of an attack on either Russia or Belarus, the defence ministry said.

Moscow and Minsk have said the exercises are exclusively defensive and that they do not intend to attack any NATO member, though the U.S.-led military alliance announced an "Eastern Sentry" operation after the incursion of Russian Drones into Poland on Sept. 9-10.

Russia's defence ministry released footage of the Northern Fleet's Admiral G

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