The Russian Defence Ministry said the missile was launched from the Arkhangelsk region in northwestern Russia and travelled to the Kura test range in the Kamchatka region in the country’s Far East. It described the test as successful.
The missile has a range of more than 6,700 kilometres, meaning it could potentially reach targets thousands of kilometres away, including parts of North America, depending on its launch location and trajectory.
The missile test came shortly after US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe made an unexpected visit to Moscow on August 25, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryshkin.
US media reported that Ratcliffe’s visit was aimed at urging Russia not to attack a NATO member state.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe did not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, but instead held discussions with officials from the two countries’ intelligence services.
The missile test comes as the war in Ukraine continues, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he had ordered his military to increase drone attacks against targets in Russia.
Zelensky said Ukraine was aiming to increase the number of drone attacks to around 1,000 per day, up from approximately 300.
He also said the United States had provided Ukraine with information about several discussions that had taken place in Moscow in recent days, although he did not provide details about what was discussed.
The latest missile test highlights the continued military tensions between Russia and the West as the war in Ukraine enters another phase of heightened confrontation.
