Russia Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile from Submarine

Russia announced the successful test launch of its “Bulava” intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads from one of its submarines.

The test marks the first such launch in just over a year and comes in the midst of heightened nuclear rhetoric from Russia following its withdrawal from a crucial nuclear test ban treaty.

According to the Defense Ministry, the newly commissioned nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine cruiser, Emperor Alexander III, executed the launch of the Bulava sea-based ICBM. The launch took place from an undisclosed location in the White Sea on the country's northwest coast, with the missile hitting a designated target thousands of kilometers away on the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula.

Specific details about the Bulava missile remain classified. However, it is reported to be a three-stage solid-propellant ICBM equipped with six independently targetable warheads.

Experts estimate its circular error probability, a measure of precision, to range from 120 to 350 meters. This 12-meter missile plays a central role in Moscow's nuclear triad and has an impressive range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). It weighs approximately 36.8 tonnes and carries a throw weight of 1,150 kilograms. The missile is stored in a launch container measuring 12.1 meters in length and 2 meters in diameter.

Russia has faced criticism from the West for its provocative nuclear discourse, particularly since the onset of its offensive against Ukraine in February.

Earlier this week, President Vladimir Putin ratified a law that rescinded Russia's participation in the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a decision strongly condemned by the United States. This 1996 treaty sought to prohibit all nuclear explosions, including live tests of nuclear weapons, although it never came into effect as some key countries, such as the United States and China, did not ratify it.