Russia successfully tests nuclear-capable Bulava missile

Russia on Thursday successfully tested its new nuclear-capable Bulava intercontinental missile, its first successful firing for months after a series of embarrassing failures, the defence ministry said.

The missile was fired from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine in the White Sea in North European Russia and hit its target in the Kura firing area on the Kamchatka peninsula on the Pacific Ocean some 6,000 kilometres (3,730 miles) away, it said, AFP informs.

The Bulava has been described by authorities as a future cornerstone of Russia's nuclear arsenal as older Soviet-built nuclear missiles are gradually retired.

Russian officials billed Bulava as a new-generation weapon, capable of dodging any potential missile defenses thanks to its quick start and an ability to perform unusual maneuvers in flight, The Associated Press says.