MOSCOW, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia has on Monday launched a intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine as a training program, Itar-Tass news agency reported, citing a military spokesman.

    "The launch has been carried out under the combat training schedule for checking the combat readiness of the Naval Strategic Nuclear Forces," said Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo, adding its warhead hit the target at the designated time."

    The missile blasted off from a Tula submarine of Russia's Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea and its warhead hit the target at the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east.

    Russia's Strategic Missile Forces regularly launch missiles to test their performance characteristics and decide whether they can remain in service.