Launch of the "Yars" missile by Russians: Defense Express highlights an important detail

The RS-24 «Yars» intercontinental ballistic missile, designed for strikes at a range of up to 11-12 thousand kilometers, will be launched from a «rather unusual area.» This was reported by Defense Express analysts.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence reported that Russia, aiming to intimidate Ukrainians, EU countries, and NATO members, plans to conduct a so-called training-combat launch of an RS-24 «Yars» intercontinental ballistic missile from a mobile ground-based complex in the early hours of Monday, May 19.

Details of the «Yars» launch

Defense Express analysts note that, according to Defence Intelligence information, the launch will be carried out by the 433rd Regiment of the 42nd Division of the 31st Army of Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces from an area near the town of Svobodny in Sverdlovsk region. This town is located approximately 1,600 km from Ukraine’s border.

«The key point to note here is the rather unusual area for such launches, as they are typically conducted from the „Plesetsk“ Cosmodrome (for both silo-based and mobile systems),» the researchers said.

They also provided an example, noting that the first three test launches, which took place in May and December 2007 and November 2008, were conducted from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Moreover, in 2024, as part of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces exercises, launches of the «Yars» ICBM were also carried out from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome targeting the «Kura» test range. The Plesetsk Cosmodrome is located in the Arkhangelsk region, approximately 1,300 km from Ukraine and about 450 km from Finland.