Russia 'conducts missile test on Putin's birthday'

Russia successfully test launched a hypersonic cruise missile in the Barents Sea on Tuesday, a senior Russian commander told Vladimir Putin on the Russian leader's 68th birthday.

Joe Davies reports.

Russia has test-launched a hypersonic cruise missile, and successfully hit a target in the Barents Sea.

That was the news given by a senior commander to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (October 7) - his 68th birthday.

Speaking to Putin by video link, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the army's general staff, said the test strike on Tuesday (October 6) was carried out from the Admiral Gorshkov vessel in the White Sea in northern Russia.

Putin said the test is a "big event not only for the military, but for Russia as a whole." And he said arming Russia's military with the "newest weapon systems" will "ensure the defence capabilities" of Russia "in the long-term." Gerasimov said the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile hit its target at a distance of 450 kilometers in just four and a half minutes.

It reached hypersonic speeds of more than eight times the speed of sound.

The test comes amid tensions over arms controls between Russia and the United States.