Russian General Issues Warning to US: Hypersonic Missile Test in the Mediterranean

In a significant but previously unpublicized exchange, Russia's top military official contacted his American counterpart. The conversation aimed to caution the United States about imminent Russian hypersonic missile trials in the Eastern Mediterranean, urging U.S. naval vessels to evacuate the vicinity for safety.

Key Dialogue Between Military Chiefs

Last Wednesday, General Valery Gerasimov reached out to General CQ Brown, the United States’ Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, to relay this crucial warning. Their dialogue also encompassed the Ukraine situation and strategies to mitigate any misinterpretation between their nations.

The specifics of this interaction, particularly linked to the missile test, were not publicly shared until a day after Russia’s defense ministry declared its warships had conducted these tests in open seas within the specified region.

Precautions During Missile Tests

At the time of the test, the U.S. Navy had a fleet, consisting of three amphibious vessels and several destroyers in the area. These ships are tasked with protecting Israel through missile defense systems.

The announcement about the missile test marked the first time these leaders communicated since General Brown assumed his role. They further elaborated on the ongoing Ukraine conflict, agreeing on discretion regarding their conversation.

Broader Discussions

Specific points were discussed, like the U.S. permitting Ukraine to employ long-range ATACMS missiles against Russian targets. In retaliation, Russia tested an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile aimed at Ukrainian objectives.

The dialogue also included mention of potential misjudgments that could heighten tensions between the two powers when dealing with these issues.

Russia’s Official Statement

Tuesday saw Russia's defense ministry reveal the involvement of the Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko, which launched Zircon hypersonic missiles, and the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk that fired a Kalibr cruise missile.

Additionally, from a coastal area in the Mediterranean, an Onyx cruise missile was launched by the Bastion system. These were presumably executed from Russia’s naval outpost in Tarsus, Syria—their sole overseas base.

The ministry reported these target areas were successfully hit, conforming to international maritime and aerial laws and agreements to prevent incidents beyond territorial waters.

This exercise coincided with the movement of Russian ships from Arctic bases and came amidst Russian aerial operations bolstering Syrian leader Bashar al Assad.