Russia Beefs up Strategic Deterrence; loads Nuclear-tipped Yars ICBM into Silos

The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the successful loading of another Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into a silo at the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces) facility in central Russia.

This development is part of an ongoing effort to re-equip the Kozelsky missile formation in the Kaluga region with the Yars stationary missile system. As of December 2022, the Strategic Missile Troops, the only operator of the RS-24 Yars, had deployed 136+ road-mobile and 16 silo-based missiles across 7 rocket divisions.

The Ministry of Defense released footage showcasing the transportation of the missile and its preparation for loading into the silo. The loading process utilized a hydraulic mechanism of a special transport and loading unit. The infrastructure of the position area in the Kaluga region has been readied for this strategic upgrade.

The Kozelsky formation is notable as the first in the Strategic Missile Forces to undergo re-equipment with the stationary (mine)-based Yars missile system. According to the Ministry of Defense, implementing these measures in 2023 will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.

The Yars missile system, comprising both silo and mobile versions, forms the backbone of the Strategic Missile Forces grouping. Official data indicates that the Yars ICBM boasts a range of up to 11,000 km and is equipped with a multiple warhead featuring maneuvering warheads.

The Strategic Missile Forces, a crucial branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, plays a pivotal role as the main component of the country's strategic nuclear forces. In recent weeks, the Russian Ministry of Defense also reported the installation of two missiles from the new Avangard strategic complex, featuring a hypersonic glide-winged warhead, into silos at a Strategic Missile Forces facility in the Orenburg region on October 20 and November 16.