Eurasia Press & News
A Russian nuclear submarine has successfully test-fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry said.
The Vladimir Monomakh nuclear submarine of the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet launched the four Bulava missiles in quick succession on Saturday from an underwater position in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The missiles, equipped with dummy warheads, successfully hit their targets in the Arkhangelsk area of northwestern Russia more than 5,500 kilometers (over 3,400 miles) away.
The Vladimir Monomakh is one of the new Borei-class nuclear submarines that carry 16 Bulava missiles each.
The missile test concluded four days of military drills involving Russia’s strategic nuclear forces stationed in various eastern and western parts of the country.
The missile launch took place amid increasing tensions between the West and Russia over disarmament heralding a new Cold War.
The two sides have reviewed ways of de-escalating tensions by signing new arms deals. Washington and Moscow have discussed conditions for signing a New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty — New START.
The old arms treaty, which expires in early February, banned the two countries from deploying more than 6,000 nuclear warheads atop a total of 1,600 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and bombers.
US President Donald Trump has yet to make a decision on the New START.
Both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty last year, making New START the only nuclear arms control deal left between the two powers.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned earlier this week that Moscow would neither succumb to Western pressure, nor accept a new world order led by the United States and its allies.
