MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Strategic Missile Force builds up its combat capabilities with new missile systems that arrive for its units and formations, Strategic Missile Force Commander Colonel General Sergey Karakayev said on Thursday.

At a meeting of the Strategic Missile Force’s Military Council, the commander "paid special attention to the issue of building up the Force’s combat capabilities through the introduction of new missile systems into the combat structure," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Currently, Russia’s Strategic Missile Force is replacing Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) systems with Yars ICBM launchers (both developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology) and placing Avangard hypersonic missile systems on combat duty in its Yasny missile formation. Work continues to test the advanced Sarmat ICBM.