The U.S. air force said it successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Wednesday, the Stars and Stripes reported.

The Minuteman III's unarmed reentry vehicle flight terminated about 4,200 miles southwest at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, according to the report.

"It's a comprehensive assessment to verify and validate the ICBM system's ability to perform its critical mission," Lieutenant Colonel Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, told the Stars and Stripes.

As of late 2024, the United States maintained about 400 deployed Minuteman III ICBMs in underground silos in the northern tier of states, according to the Stars and Stripes.

The United States had notified Russia in advance of the launch, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Peskov also said that Russia will continue to fulfill its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a Russian Security Council meeting that Moscow would be forced to take action in response to nuclear tests conducted by other countries.

"Back in my 2023 address to both houses of parliament, I noted that if the United States or other state parties to the relevant treaty carried out such tests, Russia would accordingly have to take proportionate responsive measures."

Putin instructed Russia's Foreign and Defense Ministries and other relevant departments to submit proposals on the possibility of preparing for nuclear weapons tests.

Putin added that Russia has always strictly abided by its obligations under the CTBT and will continue to do so until other countries begin conducting nuclear tests.

On Tuesday, Putin held a ceremony at the Kremlin to present state decorations to the designers of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon unmanned submersible, while saying the country's new nuclear-powered facilities will be vital to national security and strategic balance for decades.

"The Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle hold historic significance for our people for at least the next few decades," Putin said.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the resumption of nuclear weapons tests, claiming that other countries appeared to be conducting similar tests.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: In this photo released by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operation test at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, U.S., February 23, 2021. /VCG)