Putin stages hypersonic war games in Med as two warships blast 6,900mph missiles in message to West over Syria & Ukraine

A MENACING Vladimir Putin staged provocative war games in the Mediterranean today in a blatant show of strength to the West.

The despot's latest aggression came amid major tension with rebel advances in Syria, where he protects his authoritarian dictator pal Bashar al-Assad.

It coincided with deep tension in Ukraine, and was aimed to show he has a global reach beyond Russia’s backyard.

Video shows Putin's major warning to the West by firing Tsirkon [Zircon] 6,900 mph hypersonic missiles in the eastern Mediterranean - Europe’s favourite holiday destination.

They were blasted by modern frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko.

Both warships were operating as part of the Russian Navy strike group, Russian TV network Zvezda reported.

The Kremlin dictator's diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk also launched a Kalibr cruise missile at a maritime target position.

The Russian Defence Ministry said a Bastion coastal missile system from the Mediterranean coast - presumably Syria -  carried out a "combat launch of an Onyx cruise missile”.

The Ministry added it was all part of military exercises involving more than 1,000 servicemen, 10 ships and support vessels, 24 aircraft, including MiG-31I fighters armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

Russia's Bastion coastal missile system was also involved in the exercises, according to Zvezda.

The drills were carried out under the supervision of Russian naval commander in chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev.

Several days ago, he was dispatched to Syria amid turmoil in the country as rebels took Aleppo and put on the back foot Putin’s close ally President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

A key message of today’s war games may be to warn that Russia’s naval port in Syria - Tartus - will be vigorously defended.

A crucial reason for the rebel advance was that Putin had moved forces from Syria to fight in his bloody Ukraine war.

Today the Russians said that its military strength ahead of the war games in the eastern Mediterranean Sea had been increased.

Its forces conducted “missile, artillery and torpedo firing, as well as bombing.”

The Russian Defence Ministry said: “The exercise involves over 1,000 servicemen, ten ships and support vessels, 24 aircraft, including MiG-31I fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces with Kinzhal [Dagger] hypersonic missiles and the Bastion coastal missile system."

They did not show or report launches of the 9.200mph Dagger ballistic missiles.

“The exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean is being conducted in compliance with current international law, as well as agreements between the Russian Federation and foreign states on the prevention of incidents at sea outside territorial waters, as well as in the airspace above them."