Missile in Kamchatka (and Sunrise at Kurilskoye Lake)

Sunrise at Kurilskoye Lake, originalmente cargada por robnunn.

Russia on Thursday carried out a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, AFP reports.

The Topol RS-12M rocket hit its intended target on Kamchatka near the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces said in a statement. The launch, from the Plesetsk launch facility in northern Russia, was part of the country's plan to upgrade its ballistic missiles and extend the life of its Topol missiles.

The successful test will allow Russia to maintain the Topol rocket for 21 years, the statement said, significantly more than the original 10 years forecast.