**Russia Prepares to Test Powerful Yars Intercontinental Ballistic Missile**
The Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) has reported that Russia is getting ready to launch a training-combat test of its RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile. The test is expected to take place on Monday morning from the town of Svobodny in Sverdlovsk Oblast.
This would be the first publicly confirmed Yars ICBM test since 2019, when it was conducted from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. According to HUR, the missile will carry a non-nuclear training warhead and have an estimated range of over 10,000 kilometers.
**A Show of Force?**
Ukrainian officials believe that this launch is a deliberate show of force aimed at intimidating not only Ukraine but also NATO and EU member states. This move comes as Russia’s claims about its Oreshnik missile complex are under renewed attention. President Vladimir Putin described Oreshnik as a cutting-edge hypersonic ballistic missile, but military experts are skeptical, believing it to be a rebranded RS-26 Rubezh, a previously shelved ICBM.
**Psychological Warfare?**
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War argue that Russia’s reappearance of the Oreshnik system serves more as psychological warfare than a genuine leap in capability. In this light, the upcoming Yars launch appears consistent with a broader Kremlin strategy: using strategic weapons tests not primarily for military development, but to exert geopolitical pressure and manipulate perceptions of strength.
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