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Russia successfully tests intercontinental missile
Dec 24, 2009, 12:00 GMT
Moscow - Russia has successfully tested a intercontinental Voyevoda missile, a spokesperson for the defence ministry told the Interfax news agency Thursday.
The 34-metre missile, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, was launched from the Orenburg district on the border with Kazakhstan. It struck a target on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east.
The Voyevoda carries the NATO codename 'Satan' and has a range of 11,000 kilometres.
Russian military officials said that the United States had been informed of the test, and that Moscow had therefore held to the bilateral agreements requiring notification of missile tests.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview on Russian state television Thursday that Russian was very close to signing a replacement to the START arms reduction treaty which expired December 5.
Medvedev added that the new strategic arms reduction treaty would not reduce Russia's military defence capabilities. Russia would continue to develop its nuclear arsenal as well, he said.
Earlier this month, a Bulava intercontinental missile launched from a Russian submarine in the White Sea exploded during a test flight - the eighth such failure in 12 tests.
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