Russia's newest nuclear submarine test fires ballistic missile

Russia's newest nuclear submarine on Wednesday successfully test fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the White Sea off Russia's northwestern coast, the defence ministry said. The Knyaz Vladimir, or Prince Vladimir, fired the missile from underwater that landed on target on the Kamchatka peninsula in far eastern Russia, the ministry said.

The defence ministry said the "missile's flight went according to plan" and it landed at the set time. Launched in 2017, the Prince Vladimir submarine is the first upgraded model of Russia's Borei class of ballistic missile submarines, designed to be more manoeuvrable and quieter than previous models. It is currently being tested and is set to enter service with the Russian Navy's northern fleet in December this year, the fleet's commander Vice Admiral Moiseyev told TASS state news agency.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019