Official statements from the U.S. Department of Defense or credible news reports

Russian General Gerasimov Warns U.S. of Hypersonic Missile Test in Mediterranean

Dec 4, 2024, 10:00 PM

On Wednesday, November 27th, Russian General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, made a rare phone call to U.S. General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gerasimov informed Brown about an upcoming Russian hypersonic missile test in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and advised that U.S. Navy ships should avoid the area for safety reasons. He emphasized that the missile launch was scheduled in advance and was not connected to Ukraine's use of ATACMS missiles. Gerasimov also requested that Brown not proactively announce the call, and the U.S. agreed. The discussion covered global and regional security issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This communication occurred six days after Russia launched a new, nuclear-capable, intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine and is notable due to the rarity of such high-level military exchanges amid rising tensions between the two nations.