Russia tests submarine-launched Bulava missile amid tensions with Europe
Russia said this week that it test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the Sea of Okhotsk. The launch was carried out from the submerged submarine Generalissimo Suvorov, according to the Russian defence ministry. The missile then travelled about 8,300 km before landing in a test area in the Arkhangelsk region in north-western Russia.
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The ministry said the launch took place on Wednesday, 28 October, and described it as a test of the RSM-56 Bulava system. It did not say whether the missile carried a nuclear warhead, although that would be unusual in a test of this kind. The Bulava is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads, and the Generalissimo Suvorov is a Borei-class submarine capable of carrying up to 16 of the missiles.
The test comes at a time of heightened tensions with Europe and wider concern about nuclear signalling linked to the war in Ukraine. It also follows a French nuclear missile test in the North Sea earlier this month, underlining a period of visible strategic weapons activity by major nuclear powers. The Russian launch was presented as a routine military test, but its timing gives it broader political significance.
The Sea of Okhotsk, in Russia's far east, is a regular operating area for the country's strategic submarine fleet. The Arkhangelsk region, where the missile reportedly landed, is used for military test ranges and has long been associated with Russian strategic weapons trials. By covering almost the full width of Russia, the flight path demonstrated the range of the system and the reach of the country's sea-based nuclear deterrent.
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The Bulava missile is one of the central components of Russia's submarine-launched nuclear arsenal. It is intended to give the navy a second-strike capability from underwater platforms that are harder to detect and target than land-based systems. The Generalissimo Suvorov is part of the Borei class, which forms a key part of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.
What remains unclear is whether the missile was fitted with any special payload, and whether the test was linked to any broader military exercise. Russian officials have not provided further technical details beyond the launch location, distance and landing area. The next point to watch is whether Moscow follows the test with additional strategic weapons activity or further public messaging about its nuclear forces.
