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Russia’s Planned ICBM Test Near Nizhny Tagil Mysteriously Aborted

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
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Russia’s Planned ICBM Test Near Nizhny Tagil Mysteriously Aborted
Illustrative image. Launch of a Russian RS-24 “Yars” intercontinental ballistic missile, 2024. (Source: TASS)

Russia appears to have scrubbed a planned overnight launch of its RS-24 “Yars” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to report from the Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express on May 19.

Ukrainian military intelligence had warned that the Strategic Rocket Forces intended to conduct a “training-combat” test between May 18 and 19 from an un­usual location: a field site near the village of Svobodny in the Sverdlovsk region, about 15 miles southeast of Nizhny Tagil.

The area hosts the 433rd Regiment of Russia’s 42nd Missile Division, part of the 31st Rocket Army.

Because the launch point sits close to a major industrial city, analysts expected residents to capture clear video of the nighttime blast-off and the missile’s ascent across the Urals.

Seen through the legs of a Russian soldier a RS-24 Yars thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missile launcher rolls at a strategic missile forces base near the town of Teykovo, some 200 km northeast of Moscow, on September 22, 2011. (Source: Getty Images)
Seen through the legs of a Russian soldier a RS-24 Yars thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missile launcher rolls at a strategic missile forces base near the town of Teykovo, some 200 km northeast of Moscow, on September 22, 2011. (Source: Getty Images)

Nothing surfaced on social media or local news feeds. Observers also note that a normal Yars test aimed at the Kura impact range on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula would have been visible for hundreds of miles across Siberia and the Far East—again, no footage appeared.

Moscow has offered no explanation. The “Yars” system, an upgraded variant of the Soviet-era “Topol” road-mobile ICBM, suffered two reported test failures in 2023 after the boosters veered off course.

Each missile must still pass a stringent pre-flight check, and the Kremlin has little incentive to showcase a malfunction while Russian leader Vladimir Putin prepares for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump, the report notes.

Typical aftermath of an intercontinental ballistic missile test launch in Russia. This time, nothing similar surfaced on the internet. (Source: Defense Express)
Typical aftermath of an intercontinental ballistic missile test launch in Russia. This time, nothing similar surfaced on the internet. (Source: Defense Express)

Whether the launch was canceled at the pad or aborted seconds after ignition is unclear.

“Even with deep modernization, any solid-fuel ICBM carries the risk of an early-stage failure,” Defense Express concluded.

Earlier, satellite imagery analyzed by Defense Express revealed Russia preparing its R-30 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, a key component of its nuclear triad.

The missile, designed for Borey-class submarines, can carry multiple warheads and has a range of up to 9,300 km. Ukrainian intelligence reported a recent Bulava test failure, contradicting Russian claims of success.

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