On December 26, Russian forces test fired an RS-12M Topol ICBM from the Kapustin Yar range, near the Kazakh border in western Russia. The test was reportedly designed to test features aimed at evading detection and penetrating missile defenses. “During the tests, specialists obtained experimental data that will be used in the interests of developing effective means of overcoming anti-ballistic missile defense and equipping the perspective grouping of Russian ballistic missiles with them,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The Kremlin did not say how far the test missile flew, where it landed, or whether the experiment was a success.