Russia on Wednesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile that can breach the missile defense being developed by the NATO for Europe, reports quoting a military official said.
The missile's test-launch comes in less than a week after NATO formally activated the first stage of the Europe missile defense which was vehemently opposed by Russia as it feared that the NATO shield would target its nuclear missiles.
Russia's Strategic Missile Forces test-fired a new prototype ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk Region on Wednesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Vadim Koval said, but did not name the new weapon.
"The training round landed in the western region of the Kamchatka peninsula, hitting its target" after it was fired from a mobile launcher, he said.
"The new intercontinental ballistic missile is intended to strengthen the capabilities of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, including its capabilities for overcoming anti-missile defenses," Koval was quoted by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
"The missile was built with maximum use of existing components with new elements and technologies developed during the production of fifth-generation missile systems, in order to shorten its development time," he said.
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