Russia Test-Launches ICBM Days After CIA Chief Visits Moscow

On Friday, Aug. 28, Russia's Strategic Missile Forces conducted a test launch of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. The exercise aimed to validate the missile's technical and flight characteristics, with the warheads hitting targets at the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

While the specific missile model remains undisclosed, Russia's solid-fuel arsenal primarily consists of the Topol and Yars systems. These missiles boast a range of 10,500 kilometers and have the capability to reach US territory. The Topol variants carry a single 800-kiloton warhead, whereas the Yars variants are equipped with four 250-kiloton warheads.

Russia possesses 271 missiles from these two classes, with 78 Topols and 193 Yars, accounting for 56% of the nation's strategic nuclear forces. The ICBM test took place three days following an unannounced visit to Moscow by US CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Tuesday, Aug. 25. During this trip, Ratcliffe reportedly met with Federal Security Service chief Alexander Bortnikov to discuss the Russian economy and military performance in Ukraine, warning the Kremlin against potential provocations against NATO members.

Prior to the visit, Washington reportedly requested Ukraine to suspend drone strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg. On Aug. 26, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered a snap combat readiness inspection of his military, linking the drill to Ratcliffe's presence in Moscow. This missile launch and regional military drills precede a meeting between Lukashenko and Putin on Aug. 29, as the two leaders discuss bilateral cooperation and security matters.