The Bulava missile was launched from the Yuri Dolgoruky submarine in the White Sea that separates Russia from Scandinavia, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said. The missile's warheads reached the Kura testing range on the Pacific Kamchatka Peninsula, some 5,500 km away, he said.
The Bulava is a three-stage, hypersonic intercontinental missile with highly maneuverable warheads capable of dodging any potential missile defenses. It is designed to have a range of 8,000 km and carry six to ten individually targeted nuclear warheads.
Russia's top brass described it as a future pillar of Russia's nuclear arsenal as Soviet-built missiles are gradually retired. The Bulava program has consumed a large chunk of the Russian military budget without much success - only half of the previous 14 launches were pronounced successful.