US official denies Russia ICBM launch during Biden Kiev visit: Reports

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The United States denied media reports that Russia allegedly tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) while US President Joe Biden was in Kiev, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a US defense official.

On Tuesday, CNN cited sources as saying that Russia had allegedly tested a ballistic missile during Biden's visit to Ukraine, but the launch had ended up in failure. Later in the day, a US official told the broadcaster that the launch had allegedly taken place just before Biden's arrival in Ukraine.

However, the US defense official indicated that Russia had notified the US about plans to test a missile under its obligations within the framework of the New START treaty before Biden's visit to Kiev went public, the Bloomberg report said.

Such tests are commonplace and did not come as a surprise to Washington, the defense official noted, as cited by the newspaper.

The announcement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said in a message to the Federal Assembly that Russia was suspending - not withdrawing - its participation in the Russian-US New START treaty.

Russia's Foreign Ministry indicated that Moscow will be assessing the limitations resulting from the treaty rather than immediately rendering it null, clarifying that the decision comes in response to the US' increasing hostility toward Russia, via Ukraine, which effectively violates the treaty.

On Monday, Biden made an unannounced visit to Kiev to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and discuss US weapon supplies, among other things.

Director of the Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov has confirmed that Washington, through the diplomatic line, notified Moscow about Biden's visit to Kiev, but Russia did not give any security guarantees to the United States.

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