What's happened
Russia tests an experimental missile, adding to the mystery of its nuclear capabilities, while successfully launching the Angara A5 rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome after two aborted attempts.
Why it matters
The test of the experimental missile raises concerns about Russia's military capabilities and intentions, while the successful launch of the Angara A5 rocket demonstrates the country's progress in space technology and its ambitions in the post-Soviet era.
What the papers say
The Moscow Times and Al Jazeera report on the successful launch of the Angara A5 rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, highlighting Russia's space ambitions and the technical glitches that led to the aborted attempts. The Independent provides details on the technical issues that caused the launch delays.
How we got here
The Angara project was initiated after the fall of the Soviet Union to develop a Russian-made launch vehicle independent of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Angara A5 rocket is a heavy-lift booster designed to carry large payloads into space, but its development has faced delays.
More on these topics
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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The Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, commonly known as Roscosmos, is a state corporation responsible for the wide range and types of space flights and cosmonautics programs for the Russian Federation.
It had several precursors:
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The Vostochny Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport above the 51st parallel north in the Amur Oblast, in the Russian Far East. It is intended to reduce Russia's dependency on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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The Far East is a geographical region that includes Eastern Russia, Eastern and Southeastern Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
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Yury Ivanovich Borisov is a Russian politician who has served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia since 2018.
From 2012 to 2018, he served as the Deputy Minister of Defence.
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The Moscow Times is an English-language online-only newspaper based in Moscow. It was in print from 1992 until 2017, with a peak circulation of 55,000.
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.