Russia fires Iskander-M ballistic missile

A picture taken on April 20, 2010, shows Russian Iskander ballistic missile launcher rolling during a rehearsal of a military parade i n Alabino outside Moscow. (AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV)

MOSCOW - The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday it had successfully fired a ballistic missile from an advanced Iskander-M mobile launch system as part of a training exercise in the country's Far East.

"The missile successfully hit its targets in one of the polygons in the Amur Region, travelling about 300 kilometres," the ministry said in a statement on social media.

"Thanks to a direct hit, several facilities were destroyed, including a simulated enemy's command post."

The Iskander, a mobile ballistic missile system codenamed SS-26 Stone by NATO, replaced the Soviet Scud missile. Its two guided missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometres and can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.

The Amur Region is located in Russia's Far East, in eastern Siberia.