Russia failed to launch Yars intercontinental ballistic missile. No traces of launch were recorded, Ukrainian experts noted.
Points of attention
- Russia's failed Yars intercontinental missile launch sheds light on the weaknesses in its strategic weapons program.
- The lack of launch traces and the unusual launch area point towards potential technical issues or a strategic move by the Kremlin.
- With previous failures in 2023 and a recent missile explosion in 2024, doubts about the reliability of Russian strategic weapons are amplified.
Russia fails to launch Yars intercontinental ballistic missile
It is noted that on the night of May 19, Russia planned to conduct a training and combat launch of the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile. However, the launch never took place.
The Russian Federation was unable to launch "Yars": everything indicates that the launch simply did not happen.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the launch area was atypical — in the Sverdlovsk region, near the settlement of Svobodny, where the 433rd Regiment of the 42nd Division of the 31st Army of the Strategic Missile Forces is stationed.
Given the proximity to the city of Nizhny Tagil (only 25 km), any launch should have been captured by local residents. However, no photo or video evidence has emerged.
There are also no recordings from distant regions — a missile aimed at the Kura test site in Kamchatka could have been observed over a large area: from Khanty-Mansiysk to Magadan. But no visual recording was received from there either.
The reasons for the launch cancellation are currently unknown. Experts do not rule out technical problems or the Kremlin's reluctance to demonstrate weakness in the field of nuclear deterrence ahead of important talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Recall that in 2023, the Russian Federation has already failed to successfully launch Yars-type missiles twice — the missiles went off course. There is a possibility that this time an emergency situation occurred at the launch stage.
In addition, at the end of September 2024, an RS-28 Sarmat missile exploded in the launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, further reinforcing doubts about the reliability of Russian strategic weapons.
The day before, Ukrainian intelligence warned of Russia's intention to conduct a demonstration launch of the RS-24 "Yars" intercontinental ballistic missile.
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