Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Russia test-fires RS-12M ballistic missile

RIA Novosti

08/12/2007 19:10 MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Strategic Missile Forces have successfully test launched an RS-12M intercontinental ballistic missile, a spokesman said on Saturday.

"The launch of the ICBM RS-12M Topol was successfully conducted at 5:43 p.m. Moscow time [2:43 p.m. GMT] on December 8 from the Kapustin Yar testing site in the Arkhangelsk Region," Colonel Alexander Vovk said.

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces regularly launch missiles to test their performance characteristics and decide whether they can remain in service.

The ICBM Topol was last tested on October 19. The missile's service life has been extended to 21 years, much longer than the 10 years originally intended.