Russia test-fires new ballistic missile

Russia carried out a successful test-launch of an RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Tuesday, a military official said.

The Russian Strategic Missile Forces unit conducted the test from the Plesetsk space centre, Xinhua quoted the forces' spokesman Igor Yegorov as saying.

The spokesman said the RS-24 Yars was equipped with a multiple warhead and the missile successfully hit the target.

This ICBM will form the core of Russian strategic ground-based missile forces, the official said.

There would be 15 more ICBMs put into service by the end of this year, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces unit announced last week.

Russia possesses about 400 ICBM launchers.