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Russian Defense Ministry confirms second Bulava launch in October

KRASNOARMEISK (Moscow Region), September 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian deputy defense minister Yury Borisov on Wednesday confirmed plans to test-fire a Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in October.

"The first launch was conducted (in September), and the second will be conducted in October," Borisov said.

He did not specify which submarine will launch the SLBM but, according to previous reports, the missile will be launched from the Yuriy Dolgoruky strategic nuclear-powered submarine.

On September 10, a Bulava missile was launched from the Vladimir Monomakh submarine off north-west Russia’s White Sea and hit a designated target at the Kura test range on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Far East.

After six consecutive successful launches in 2010-2011, Bulava was expected to be commissioned. However, the launch from the Alexander Nevsky submarine on September 9, 2013 was unsuccessful. The missile fell into the Arctic Ocean because of failure of the engine control system of the second stage.