MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu inspected the Strategic Missile Force’s regiment rearmed with new Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) systems stationed in the Kaluga Region in central Russia, the Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu inspected the combat alert posture of a regiment from the Vladimir missile formation in the Kaluga Region. Strategic Missile Force Commander Colonel-General Sergey Karakayev reported to the Russian defense minister on the formation’s rearmament with new Yars missile systems and the creation of the modern infrastructure providing qualitative conditions for combat alert and comfortable accommodation of personnel," the ministry said in a statement.

The Kozelsk missile division has been the first Strategic Missile Force unit to receive new Yars silo-based missile systems, the ministry said.

The defense minister was also shown the capabilities of the silo-based launcher and the operation of the remote-controlled combat module of the new-generation security system, the ministry said.

The Russian defense chief listened to the reports by the division’s military command on its combat posture and set the objectives of introducing new forms and methods of troop operations in combat training programs. In addition, Shoigu inspected the infrastructure where qualitative conditions had been created for combat alert and comfortable accommodation of personnel, the ministry said.

The RS-24 Yars is a Russian strategic missile system comprising a mobile or silo-based solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile with MIRVed (multiple independently targetable vehicle) warheads. The Yars is a modification of the Topol-M missile system. Russia started deploying Yars ICBM systems in 2009 when the Yars launcher was accepted for experimental combat duty in the Strategic Missile Force.