At the end of this article you will find two videos from my recent visit to Russia that features retired General Andrey Gurulyov and Lt. General Apti Alaudinov.
Today I want to give you some hard data regarding Russia’s decisive advantages over Ukraine and NATO with respect to hypersonic missiles, artillery and drones. The Trump administration, along with its NATO allies, continue to gaslight the public about Russia’s military capabilities. Russia holds a commanding lead in offensive firepower, especially when it comes to hypersonic missile. The US still does not have an operational hypersonic system, while Russia has five such weapons that are routinely used on the battlefield.
Today I want to give you some hard data regarding Russia’s decisive advantages over Ukraine and NATO with respect to hypersonic missiles, artillery and drones. The Trump administration, along with its NATO allies, continue to gaslight the public about Russia’s military capabilities. Russia holds a commanding lead in offensive firepower, especially when it comes to hypersonic missile. The US still does not have an operational hypersonic system, while Russia has five such weapons that are routinely used on the battlefield.
Russia has been a pioneer in hypersonic weapons development, focusing on missiles that travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound, or about 6,174 km/h at sea level) while being highly maneuverable. This makes them difficult to intercept with traditional missile defense systems like the US Patriot or Aegis. Hypersonic missiles are categorized into two main types: Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs), which are launched by a rocket booster and then glide through the atmosphere, and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCMs), which use advanced air-breathing engines like scramjets. Russia’s program emphasizes air-launched, sea-launched, and ground-launched variants, often integrated with nuclear or conventional warheads. These systems are touted as “unstoppable” by Russian officials, though experts debate their vulnerability to electronic warfare and detection.
Key drivers include countering NATO defenses and projecting power in regions like the Black Sea and Arctic. Development accelerated post-2014 Crimea annexation, with significant testing under President Vladimir Putin. As of 2025, Russia has operationally deployed several types of hypersonic missiles in the Ukraine conflict.
Key drivers include countering NATO defenses and projecting power in regions like the Black Sea and Arctic. Development accelerated post-2014 Crimea annexation, with significant testing under President Vladimir Putin. As of 2025, Russia has operationally deployed several types of hypersonic missiles in the Ukraine conflict.
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