MOSCOW: Russia successfully test-fired a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile in the Arctic, the country's Defence Ministry has announced.

On Thursday, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov in the White Sea fired a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, hitting a naval target 450 km away in the Barents Sea at a speed of over Mach 8, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.

In early January, the same frigate test-fired a Tsirkon missile for the first time, striking a ground target over 500 km away.

Last month, the warship deployed in the White Sea destroyed a naval target in the Barents Sea with a Tsirkon missile.