The Russian military announced Sunday it has successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from its new nuclear submarine.
Military officials said that the missile, also known as a Bulava missile, was launched from an underwater position off the country’s northern White Sea coast, according to Axios.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, the missile is designed to carry up to six nuclear warheads.
The launched missile struck a target in Kamchatka, a Peninsula in the far-eastern region of the country, Axios reported.
The announcement comes three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill that will revoke the country’s ratification of a major nuclear test ban treaty. This signifies that the Kremlin is continuing to brush aside nuclear restrictions amid its war with Ukraine.
Since the beginning of its war with Ukraine in February 2022, Putin’s threats of using nuclear weapons have increased, as he also sent tactical nuclear bombs to Belarus earlier this year.
Russia’s move also saw a response from the U.S., where Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the move, saying it was a part of Russia’s “disturbing and misguided effort to heighten nuclear risks and raise tensions as it pursues its illegal war against Ukraine.”
“Russian officials say Russia’s planned move to withdraw its ratification does not mean that it will resume testing, and we urge Moscow to hold to those statements. The United States remains committed to achieving the entry into force of the [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty], and we reiterate our commitment to our zero-yield nuclear explosive testing moratorium, which has been in place for 30 years,” Blinken added in his statement. “It is essential that we preserve the global norm against nuclear explosive testing.”