Russia’s most advanced new nuclear-powered submarine has test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time, hitting a target thousands of miles away, the country’s defence ministry said.

The missile, known as a Bulava, was launched from the Borei-class vessel while it was submerged in the White Sea off Russia’s north coast. The dummy payload reached a test site in the far east Russian region of Kamchatka, the ministry said.

The Knyaz Vladimir submarine will enter service with Russia’s northern fleet at the end of the year once it has completed trials including weapons tests, the Russian news agency Tass reported.

The global arms control architecture erected during the cold war to keep Washington and Moscow in check has come under strain since the demise of the intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty.

The US pulled out of the accord in August, accusing Moscow of flouting it – something Russia denies.

The last major nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the US, the New Start treaty, which limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads they can deploy, is due to expire in 2021.