Russia tests interceptor missile

Russia has carried out a successful test of a short-range interceptor missile as a part of its effort to develop a domestic missile defence shield, the defence ministry said.

The missile was launched on Tuesday from the Sary-Shagan shooting range in Kazakhstan, a spokesperson said.

The goal of the test was to confirm the technical characteristics of the missile used by the ministry's Space Command.

The test comes a month after President Dmitry Medvedev said that if Moscow's participation in the European missile defence project fails, Russia would deploy Iskander tactical missiles in the Kaliningrad region and halt its disarmament and arms control efforts, including participation in the new strategic arms reduction treaty with the US.

Russia-NATO missile defence talks are close to deadlock as Moscow is seeking written, legally binding guarantees that the US-backed European missile defence programme will not be directed against it.

Washington, however, refuses to provide the guarantees, saying the shield is directed against threats from Iran and North Korea.

Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on European missile defence system at a summit in Lisbon in November 2010. Medvedev proposed a joint system with full-scale inter-operability to ensure that the alliance's system will not be directed against Moscow. The military bloc, however, favours two independent systems which exchange information.