Sehen Sie, was Putin anordnete, als der CIA-Chef Moskau verließ.

Russian strategic rocket forces conducted a test launch of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region on Friday, according to reports. The exercise, carried out by the Russian Ministry of Defense, aimed to verify technical and flight characteristics of the system. Social media platforms shared footage of the test, showing warheads hitting predetermined targets at the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The drill included moving a mobile battery of land-based launchers to a remote location to prepare for the launch. The missile tested during the exercise belongs to Russia’s solid-fuel ICBM arsenal, primarily composed of Topol and Yars systems. These missiles, designed to carry nuclear warheads, have a range of approximately 10,500 kilometers and can reach U.S. territory. Variants of the Topol system carry a single warhead with a yield of 800 kilotons, while Yars variants are equipped with four warheads each with a yield of 250 kilotons. According to SIPRI, Russia possesses 271 missiles from these two classes, including 78 Topols and 193 Yars. Together, they form the core of Russia’s ground-based nuclear arsenal, accounting for 56 percent of the country’s strategic nuclear capabilities. The missile test followed three days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly visited Moscow without prior notice on Tuesday. Ratcliffe reportedly met with FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov to present a serious assessment of Russia’s economic condition and the success of its military operations in Ukraine. He also warned the Kremlin about possible provocations directed against NATO members. Before his visit, Washington reportedly requested Ukraine to temporarily suspend drone attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg. In addition to the missile test, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered an unexpected inspection of the combat readiness of his armed forces following Ratcliffe’s departure. Belarusian officials explicitly linked the exercise, which involved relocating a brigade to perform combat tasks, to Ratcliffe’s presence in Moscow. The missile launch and military exercises preceded an announced meeting between Lukashenko and Putin on Saturday. Lukashenko arrived in Russia earlier this week for talks on bilateral cooperation and current security issues. On Friday, he met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to discuss industrial integration, emphasizing the need for coordination between Belarus and Russia to address common security challenges on their southern and western borders. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow to warn Russia that it must reach a deal with Ukraine before the situation deteriorates further. The trip, which took place amid growing concerns over Russia’s military and economic conditions, saw Ratcliffe deliver the warning to Bortnikov. Current and former officials indicated that Ratcliffe did not make any threats regarding potential consequences if Putin ignored the CIA’s assessment. The CIA has long questioned whether Putin’s advisors provide him with the full truth about the invasion’s progress and impact on the country. Ratcliffe’s flight to Moscow was highly secretive, with speculation surrounding the reason for the U.S. military plane landing in Russia. Officials stated that Putin, a former intelligence officer, would take the warning seriously if it came directly from the CIA director. Before meeting Bortnikov, Ratcliffe spoke with his Ukrainian counterparts, assuring them he would not make concessions on their behalf. Over the past year, Russia’s advances on Ukrainian territory have effectively stalled. Initial expectations of a swift Russian victory have not materialized, with Russian forces suffering significant casualties with little territorial gain. Last month, Ratcliffe warned that the average lifespan of a Russian soldier had dropped to as low as 20 minutes due to the effectiveness of AI-powered drones used by Ukraine. According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s AI drones account for more than 80 percent of destroyed enemy targets. Estimates suggest that around two million soldiers have been killed, wounded, or missing since the invasion began in early 2022, with 1.4 million of them being Russian. Neither side officially releases military casualty data. Despite Russia’s numerical superiority in troops, its advances along the 745-mile front line have been limited due to Ukraine’s drone counterattacks. A drone strike early on Friday killed one person in Kherson, hours after local authorities urged residents to evacuate due to intensified Russian attacks on the southern Ukrainian city. Russian forces are positioned on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River, which borders the city briefly occupied by Moscow in 2022, making it particularly vulnerable to shelling. A C-17 Globemaster, believed to be carrying Ratcliffe, landed near Riga, Latvia, on August 25.