The Russian military has reportedly tested a new submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile. The “Bulava” will be able to be launched from a Russian submarine and could strike at over 5,000 miles.
Russia has been heavily relying on nuclear weapons to deter foreign aggression since the end of the Cold War. Prior to that, the Red Army was expected to defeat immediate NATO force due to overwhelming numerical superiority. The Moscow Times reports:
Russia said Sunday it had successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads from one of its submarines.
The launch of the “Bulava” missile, the first in just over a year, comes as Russia ramps up nuclear rhetoric since revoking its ratification of a key nuclear test ban treaty.
Russia has been running into weapons testing issues for several years now. It has traditionally relied on land based missiles due to its huge landmass, while the US made use of its naval dominance by concentrating most of its nuclear weapons on submarines. Reuters explains:
President Vladimir Putin has been pushing for Russia to maintain its nuclear deterrent to counter what he calls growing security threats, as ties between Moscow and the West have hit new lows over the war Russia launched in Ukraine in 2022.
The intercontinental missile, launched from an underwater position in the White Sea off Russia’s northern coast, hit a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East, it said.
The risk for nuclear warfare has escalated since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Ukraine can hope to push Russia back, it will not be able to invade the country itself as it could risk nuclear retaliation.
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