Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces conducted a training launch of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region on Friday, Aug. 28, The Moscow Times reported.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the test was executed to confirm the system’s technical and flight characteristics.
The warheads struck designated targets at the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The exercise involved relocating a mobile ground-based launcher battery to a remote region for preparation and execution.
While military officials did not specify the exact missile model tested, Russia’s solid-fuel arsenal primarily consists of the Topol and Yars systems. These missiles possess a range of 10,500 kilometers (6,524 miles) and are capable of reaching the territory of the US.
The Topol variants carry a single 800-kiloton warhead, while the Yars variants are equipped with four 250-kiloton warheads.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia maintains 271 missiles from these two classes, comprising 78 Topols and 193 Yars.
Together, the two systems form the core of Russia’s land-based nuclear arsenal, representing 56% of the country’s strategic nuclear forces.
Diplomatic visits and military posturing
The ICBM test occurred three days after US CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secretive, unannounced visit to Moscow on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Ratcliffe reportedly met with Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Alexander Bortnikov to deliver a grave assessment of the Russian economy and its military performance in Ukraine, and to warn the Kremlin against potential provocations targeting NATO members.
Ahead the visit, Washington also reportedly requested that Ukraine temporarily halt drone strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Coinciding with Ratcliffe’s visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed three classified decrees related to undisclosed security measures.
Following the US intelligence chief’s departure, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a snap combat readiness inspection of his military on Aug. 26. Belarusian officials explicitly linked the drill, which involved deploying a brigade for combat tasks, to Ratcliffe’s presence in Moscow.
The missile launch and regional military drills also precede a scheduled meeting between Lukashenko and Putin on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Lukashenko arrived in Russia earlier this week for talks on bilateral cooperation and pressing security matters. He met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Friday to discuss industrial integration, noting that Belarus and Russia must coordinate to resolve shared security challenges on their southern and western borders.