The Russian Air Force has successfully carried out tests of a new short-range anti-ballistic missile system, the Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
The launch took place at the Sary-Shagan missile testing site in Kazakhstan.
The missile “successfully completed its task, hitting the target at the scheduled time,” said Aerospace Force Air Defense Chief Viktor Gumyonny.
The move follows the activation of a new NATO missile defence station in Romania. Tensions between Russia and the military alliance have become increasingly strained in recent months, with both sides deploying additional border forces. The Romanian station is part of a larger system that will also include a base in Poland.
Russia has strongly condemned the missile shield, which the Kremlin believes has been created to thwart the country's nuclear capabilities. Speaking on the subject in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that although Russia did not want to be involved in the arms race, the country “would not stand still if faced with a situation where the balance of force in the world could be broken.”
NATO has maintained that the missile defense system is designed to stop possible attacks from Iran.
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