Russia claims to have performed a successful test-launch of its nuclear-capable Bulava ballistic missile from a new Borei-A class nuclear submarine.
The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement on Wednesday claiming that the Bulava missile was launched from the Generalissimo Suvorov submarine, which was sailing in the White Sea.
The statement claimed that the missile flew successfully to its intended target at the Kura firing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The test-fire comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine. Russia has previously threatened to use nuclear weapons if it is defeated in Ukraine.
The United States has condemned Russia’s test-firing of the Bulava missile, calling it a “provocative” act. The US State Department said that the test-fire “undermines strategic stability and increases the risk of a nuclear arms race.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has also condemned the test-fire, saying that it is a “dangerous and irresponsible” act. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the test-fire “shows that Russia is continuing to invest in its nuclear arsenal, even as it wages a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
The test-fire of the Bulava missile is a reminder of the dangers of nuclear proliferation. It is important for all countries to work together to reduce the risk of a nuclear war.