Russia test fires long-range missiles

RUSSIA test fired three long-range missiles yesterday and pronounced its nuclear deterrent strong in a show of force that experts said had not been seen since the days of the Cold War.

Two of the missiles were fired from nuclear submarines in the Asian and European extremes of the sprawling country, while a third was watched by President Dmitry Medvedev in north-west Russia.

It was the second Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in as many days and the latest in a series of military exercises of conventional land, sea and air forces as well as strategic nuclear units.

“This shows that our deterrent is in order,” Medvedev said of yesterday’s missile launches.

Military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said the exercises reflected Russia’s determination to prepare for major military conflict.

“This was a dry run for a war with the United States,” Felgenhauer said of the launches, part of major military manoeuvres billed “Stability 2008”.

“These are the biggest strategic war games in more than 20 years. They are on a parallel with those held in the 1980s. Nothing of the sort has been seen either in Russia or the US since then,” he said.