Russia to launch 7 ICBMs in 2024

"This year, the Strategic Missile Forces plan to conduct seven launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Over the past five years, the Strategic Missile Forces have carried out more than 20 ICBM launches as part of flight testing of advanced missile systems and exercises aimed at managing the Russian armed forces," the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement on January 7 (local time).

It is known that Russia typically notifies the US of ICBM launches at least 24 hours in advance, and Washington does the same when planning ICBM launches. This practice is carried out when Russia and the US are the two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world .

A Russian ICBM launch in 2022. (Photo: Reuters).

Last November, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its new nuclear submarine, the Alexander III, had successfully launched a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile was launched from the White Sea, off the northern coast of Russia, and struck a target thousands of kilometers away on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East.

The Bulava missile is 12 meters long, has an estimated range of 8,000 km, and can carry up to six nuclear warheads. This weapon is considered the "cornerstone" of the Russian navy's nuclear triad.

The Bulava missile is a Russian sea-launched ICBM, part of the D-30 launch complex, designed to equip strategic missile submarines (SSBNs) of projects 09550, 09551, and 09552 "Borey" and "Borey-M". The missile was developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering. On January 10, 2013, the Bulava was commissioned for combat testing.

The ballistic missile launch was conducted amid President Vladimir Putin's declaration that Russia would maintain its nuclear deterrent to counter growing security threats.

In December of the same year, Putin also attended the launching ceremony of two nuclear submarines, the Kranoyarsk and the Emperor Alexander III, in Severodvinsk. At the ceremony, the Russian President pledged to implement the plan to modernize the Russian navy. He also revealed that these two nuclear submarines would soon be deployed to the Pacific Ocean .

Recently, President Putin stated that the country's nuclear triad is 95% modernized. According to the Russian leader, given the current global situation and the emergence of new "military-political risks," the nuclear triad plays a crucial role in "ensuring strategic balance among world powers," and this role is increasingly important.

Kong Anh (Source: Sputnik)

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