A Russian nuclear-powered submarine in the Barents Sea test fired two long-range ballistic missiles Monday, hitting targets 8,000 clambers (5,000 miles) away, ITAR-TASS agency reported.
The agency quoted defense ministry sources as saying the missile, launched at 0600 GMT, struck about 30 minutes later on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east.
The tests were “planned for some time,” but were considered by the military as “a gift to the armed forces supreme commander,” a defense ministry official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP.
He was referring to Vladimir Putin, who won Russia’s presidential poll on Sunday.
In November, the Russian navy successfully test-fired two Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles from a submerged submarine, one of them in the presence of Putin.
With a range of around 11,000 kilometres, they will form the backbone of Russia’s future defence strategy.
Putin said in January that he would strengthen the military, increasing state orders from the arms industry by 50 percent this year.
He also plans to redeploy the Russian navy in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in four years.
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