Russia says it is commissioning its first unit of new mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov

Monday told Russian television the new version of the Topol-M missile is capable of penetrating multi-layered missile defense systems.

Ivanov said the missiles will form the core of Russia's strategic missile forces. He called them a new generation of the stationary Topol system already in service.

Western analysts say Topol missiles were first deployed in Russian silos in the late 1990s.

The new missiles reportedly can carry a 1,200 kilogram payload and have an estimated range of about 10,000 kilometers. They are said to maneuver in ways that are difficult to detect.