"At 11-00 Moscow time on Monday we conducted a successful test of an anti-missile missile at the Sary-Shagaz testing grounds in Kazakhstan," the agency quoted Ivanov as saying.

Russian strategic potential has been seriously decreased since the times of the Cold War, but President Putin pledges to bring back the country's might.

In mid-November Putin said that Russia was working on new, unique, nuclear missile systems. Various experts interpreted the Russian president's words as an announcement that Russia may soon have weapons to counter the U.S. anti-missile defense system.

"We know that we have only to weaken our attention to such components of our defenses as the nuclear-missile shield, and new threats to us could appear," the Russian leader said at a meeting with the heads of the military forces.

"I am sure that in the near future weapons will appear... which other nuclear powers do not and will not possess," he said.

Putin gave no further detail about what type of weapons he was referring to or what shape these new security threats could take. "We will continue to consistently and successively build up the armed forces in general and its nuclear component," he said.

News reports quoted Ivanov as telling President Vladimir Putin the test was completed at the Sary-Shagaz testing range in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

"We intend to continue perfecting and modernizing our missile defense system," Ivanov was quoted as telling by Russian news agencies.

Putin replied: "Good. Congratulations!"

The brief exchange came less than two weeks after Putin startled the world by announcing that Russia was carrying out tests on "the latest nuclear rocket systems."

Russia has been cryptic about missile defense or other system it is working on, amid efforts to counter the proposed US missile defense shield.

News reports quoted Ivanov as telling President Vladimir Putin the test was completed at the Sary-Shagaz testing range in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

"We intend to continue perfecting and modernizing our missile defense system," Ivanov was quoted as telling by Russian news agencies.

Putin replied: "Good. Congratulations!"

The brief exchange came less than two weeks after Putin startled the world by announcing that Russia was carrying out tests on "the latest nuclear rocket systems."

Russia has been cryptic about missile defense or other system it is working on, amid efforts to counter the proposed US missile defense shield.