MOSCOW, September 09. /ITAR-TASS/. The nuclear-powered submarine Vladimir Monomakh left Severodvinsk to testfire a Bulava ballistic missile on September 10, a high-ranking source from the military industry told ITAR-TASS.

Vladimir Monomakh left Severodvinsk on Monday evening. The Bulava launch is planned for September 10 from a sea test area of the Northern Fleet, the source said.

The missile will be fired in the presence of Russian Navy Commander in Chief Viktor Chirkov who is on board the submarine.

It will be the first Bulava launch from Monomakh. The construction of the third submarine of Project 955 began in 2006. It is planned to be handed over to the Navy in 2014.

Bulava test-firing is part of tests of the submarine. Without missile firing, the submarine will not be accepted for the Navy, the source said.

Plans to fire a Bulava missile changed more than once this year. Initially, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said Monomakh would fire a Bulava in August-September. The head submarine of the series Yuri Dolgoruky - was planned to fire it in November. Later, Alexander Nevsky, the first in the series, and Vladimir Monomakh were planned to fire missiles in late September-October. In late August, a source of the Navy General Staff told ITAR-TASS that Yuri Dolgoruky was planned to be the first to fire a Bulava.

Dolgoruky was added to the fleet in 2012. It was followed by Nevsky in 2013. The fourth in the Borei series, Knyaz Vladimir (Prince Vladimir), is under construction. The fifth, which will be named Knyaz Oleg, was laid down in late July 2014.