Russia tests ICBM as Putin says nuclear deterrent must be maintained [View all]
Source: MSN, Reuters
With ties between Moscow and the West frayed by the crisis in Ukraine, Putin also took greater control of a commission that oversees the defence industry and made a new call for Russia to become less reliant on imported Western equipment.
He said NATO was using rhetoric over the Ukraine crisis to "resuscitate itself" and noted that Russia had warned repeatedly that it would have to respond to such moves.
Shortly before he spoke, Russia successfully tested its new submarine-launched Bulava intercontinental missile, a 12-metre- long weapon that can deliver a nuclear strike with up to 100 times the force of the atomic blast that devastated Hiroshima in 1945.
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A Bulava missile weighs 36.8 tonnes, can travel 8,000 km (5,000 miles) and hold six to 10 nuclear warheads. Intended to become the cornerstone of Russia's nuclear forces by the end of the decade, its development had been delayed by numerous failed tests.
Russia is slated to spend over 20 trillion roubles ($536.81 billion) on the modernisation of its army, which still largely relies on Soviet-era weapons and arms technologies.
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Read more: http://news.msn.com/world/russia-tests-icbm-as-putin-says-nuclear-deterrent-must-be-maintained
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