Russia’s latest nuclear test launches fail - Ukraine’s intel

That’s according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Ukrinform reports.

"On November 1, 2023, the aggressor state Russia ran an unsuccessful test of the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, which is the main element in the surface component of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces," the report reads.

It is noted that the Yars missile, launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk region) at the Kura training ground (Kamchatka), diverted from the set course, as it had during the previous command and staff exercises held on October 25.

"Also, on October 25, 2023, the test launch of an RSM-56 Bulava ballistic missile from the Borey submarine proved unsuccessful, which once again proved its unreliability," the intelligence agency reported.

It is emphasized that Russia also has serious problems with the heavy ICBM RS-28 Sarmat, which is one of the key projects in the process of modernization of the Russian strategic nuclear forces announced by the Kremlin.

Ukraine’s intelligence is convinced that compared to the RS-20 Voyevoda, the ICBM manufactured in Ukraine, the Sarmat missile created to replace it has no edges in terms of design, the missile’s main part, or capabilities to overcome missile defenses.

According to intelligence analysts, the Sarmat is actually an incomplete, imperfect, and raw missile.

At the same time, challenges standing in Russia’s way of improving the air component of their strategic nuclear forces remain insurmountable. Within the framework of partial modernization of the Soviet-era Tu-160 and Tu-95S bombers, the Russians have the ability to produce only up to two aircraft annually. However, the delivery of new Tu-160M2 strategic bombers scheduled for 2023 has been postponed as the Russians have not been able to resume production of the new version of NK-32 engines.

All the listed problems facing Russia’s strategic nuclear forces are “a direct consequence of the sanctions policy pursued by the civilized world against Moscow over its war against Ukraine, as well as the inability of the scientific, technical and industrial bases of terrorist Russia to produce the required components to replace imported ones," the intelligence agency believes.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, under the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a strategic nuclear forces exercise was held in Russia, which involved all three types of nuclear carriers – surface, sea and air-based.