The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that Russia conducted a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as part of the country's plans to expand and develop its arsenal of strategic missiles.

"On April 12, 2024, a successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile of a mobile ground-based missile complex was carried out from the 4th State Central Interspecific site Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region by the combat crew of the Strategic Missile Forces," the Ministry said.

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The test launch achieved its tasks “in full", the Ministry added and confirmed the “high reliability of Russian missiles to ensure (Russia's) strategic security," without disclosing the name of the ICBM.

Russia has been extensively developing its ICBM programs in the past years as tensions with Western nations grew, particularly following the start of the war in Ukraine.

In February last year, President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of Russia's more advanced type of ICBM.

The Sarmat is one of Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has referred to as "invincible" and can carry several nuclear warheads. 

Additionally, Moscow launched strategic military drills just one month later, which saw the launching of the nuclear-capable Yars ICBM - a replacement to Russia's Topol system.

No publicly recorded anti-air missiles that can intercept are known to be able to intercept Yars, which has a reported range of 12,000 km and travels at a speed over 20 times the speed of sound - over Mach 20 or 24,500 km/h.

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