Russia Tests Bulava ICBM After Talks With Nordic Leaders
Russia test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile following a telephone call between Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Finland and Norway regarding Ukraine.
The Russian government test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered submarine Generalissimus Suvorov in the Sea of Okhotsk. The missile traveled roughly 3,400 miles to the Chizha test range in the Arkhangelsk region, an area situated near the borders of NATO members Norway and Finland. The Russian Defence Ministry described the launch as routine combat training.
The strategic demonstration followed a telephone call between President Vladimir Putin and Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. During the conversation, the Nordic leaders urged Putin to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine and indicated that President Volodymyr Zelensky was interested in direct discussions. Stubb characterized the exchange as frank and substantive.
The Kremlin responded by asserting that any peace settlement must account for Russian interests, specifically control of the Donbas region. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later stated that nothing new was discussed during the call and warned of potential escalation.
