Russia Launches Bulava Missile From Nuclear Submarine Over Nearly 3,400 Miles
Key Facts
The Russian military said the crew of the nuclear-powered missile submarine Generalissimo Suvorov launched a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from a submerged position in the Sea of Okhotsk toward the Chizha test range in Arkhangelsk region. The Russian Defence Ministry said the launch was carried out under the combat training plan. It added that the warhead units reached the designated area at the test range at the estimated time, based on monitoring data. A news report estimated that the missile travelled about 3,400 miles across Russia before reaching the range. That figure comes from the news report, while the announced test result was based on what the ministry described as monitoring data.
In a statement carried by Interfax, the Defence Ministry said the crew "carried out a launch of a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile toward the Chizha test range." The ministry said the missile was launched from a submerged position in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. The Chizha test range is in Arkhangelsk region, in Russia’s far northwest, while the test was launched from waters in Russia’s far east. The news report described the distance between the launch point and the range as about 3,400 miles. The test route thus crossed the country to reach a range designated for missile testing.
The ministry said the warhead units "reached the designated area at the test range at the estimated time," according to monitoring data. This is Moscow’s description of the launch result; the news report did not provide independent verification that the target was hit. The Defence Ministry linked the operation to the combat training plan, without describing it as a show of force or tying it to regional escalation. The sources also do not establish that the launch was a response to political talks that preceded the operation. The characterization of the result in the announcement remains attributed to the Russian ministry.
Generalissimo Suvorov belongs to the Project Borei-A, classified as 955A, and is the second production submarine of the project, according to a news report carried by AOL, citing Express. The submarine is nuclear-powered and carries strategic missiles, the same report said. The Associated Press reported in earlier coverage that Borei submarines carry 16 Bulava missiles each and are intended to serve as the core naval component of Russia’s nuclear forces in the coming decades. In November 2023, the Russian Defence Ministry said the submarine Emperor Alexander III launched a Bulava missile from a submerged position in the White Sea and hit a target on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The two incidents show the use of Borei submarines for announced tests, with different launch locations and targets.
The news report said launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles from the Sea of Okhotsk toward the Chizha test range had taken place only three times since 2020. That puts the current test among a limited number of launches along this route, according to the report. Its route differs from the November 2023 test, which was launched from the White Sea toward a target in Kamchatka. The available sources provide no details on market reaction or a direct financial impact from the launch. Nor do they link the operation to Putin’s talks with the leaders of Finland and Norway, although the earlier draft combined the two events.
For upcoming Russian data releases, the Russian Federal State Statistics Service calendar lists 30 November 2026 as the date for publishing labour-market data, including unemployment. This corrects the earlier draft’s statement that the data would be released on 28 October. The release date is a later milestone on Russia’s economic calendar, but does not change the description of the military launch or its stated context. The Defence Ministry said the operation was part of the combat training plan, without announcing further details about subsequent exercises in the available information. The upcoming data release remains the next dated event listed on the calendar after the launch.