Russia’s new strategic nuclear submarine Emperor Alexander III on Sunday, the 5th of October, successfully test-fired the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads. The missile was launched from a position under water in the White Sea and hit a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East, citing a Russian defence ministry’s report, writes Reuters.
According to ministry’s statement the successful missile test marks the final stage of the country’s nuclear submarine tests and now “a decision will be taken on the official inclusion of the cruiser into the Russian fleet”.
#Russia‘s Defense Ministry has announced the successful test of the “Bulava” intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The Russian military agency says the Emperor “Alexander the Third” strategic cruiser has successfully launched the “Bulava”… pic.twitter.com/y3ODXZl3Jn
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 5, 2023
According to Russian sources Reuters reports that the Emperor Alexander III is the fourth upgraded variant of the Borei-A class of Russia’s Project 955 Borei nuclear submarines, also known as the Dolgoruky class in NATO, which represents Russia’s new generation of nuclear submarines. The first submarine of this class was the Yuri Dolgoruky, launched at the end of the Cold War. The Borei-class submarines are armed
with 16 Bulava missiles, each 12-metere missile has a range of about 8 000 km.
BNN already reported that Vladimir Putin on Thursday, the 2nd of October, cancelled the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to put Moscow “on the same page” as the US.
According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview on Sunday that Russia’s relations with the US were currently “at zero – or should I say below zero”. However, he added that President Putin has expressed his readiness to establish contact between Russia and the US.
According to current plans published in the Russian media, Russia plans to build ten to 12 Borei-class submarines, which will be divided between the North and Pacific navies.
Read also: Putin revokes ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty
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