MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov armed with breakthrough Tsirkon hypersonic missiles will embark on a combat patrol in early January 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an enlarged Defense Ministry board meeting on Wednesday.

"In early January next year, the frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov with top-notch Tsirkon seaborne hypersonic missile systems, which, let me repeat it, are unrivaled in the world, will embark on a combat patrol," Putin said.

Russia will continue "developing hypersonic missile systems unique by their characteristics and unrivaled in the world," the head of state assured.

"We will continue outfitting our strategic forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems. Let me repeat again: all the plans that have been mapped out will be carried through," the Russian leader said.

In his State-of-the-Nation Address to the Federal Assembly in February 2019, Putin said that the Tsirkon was capable of developing a speed of about Mach 9 (nine times the speed of sound) and its striking range capability could exceed 1,000 km. On August 24, 2021, a contract was signed at the Army 2021 international arms show on the delivery of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles to Russia’s Defense Ministry.