The test was carried out while the Borei-class vessel was submerged and comes amid arms control tensions between Moscow and the West following the demise of a landmark Cold War-era nuclear pact that has sparked fears of a burgeoning arms race.

The launch was conducted in the White Sea off Russia's north with a dummy payload reaching a test site in the Far East Russian region of Kamchatka, the ministry said.

The Knyaz Vladimir submarine is the first upgraded 955A model to be produced in the Borei class of Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

It will enter service with Russia's Northern Fleet at the end of this year once it has completed trials including weapons tests, the fleet's commander, Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseev said according to TASS news agency.