MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. A regiment armed with Avangard missiles has entered combat duty at the Yasnenskoye missile formation in the Orenburg Region in southern Urals, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Saturday.

"Today, a yet another regiment armed with the Avangard missile system was put on combat duty at the Yasnenskoye missile formation, becoming a true present for the Day of the Strategic Missile Force," the ministry said.

The complex process of installing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) took a few hours and was carried out with the help of a special transporter-loader.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the missile system with the hypersonic glide vehicle will increase combat capabilities of the Russian Strategic Missile Force.

The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is capable of flying though the dense layers of the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 27 (about 32,000 kilometers per hour), performing direction and altitude maneuvers and overcoming any missile defenses. President Vladimir Putin first mentioned the Avangard system in March 2018.