Russia's Novosibirsk division of the Strategic Missile Forces will be armed with the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile in 2017, Strategic Missile Forces Commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakaev said Tuesday.

The RS-24 Yars (NATO reporting name SS-27 Mod 2) carries ICBMs with multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads and has a range of 6,800 miles.

"The vision will be fully equipped with Yars mobile ground missile systems this year," Karakaev told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on an inspection.

The RS-24 Yars was introduced into service in July 2010. It is an upgraded version of the Topol-M ballistic missile that can be fired both from a mobile launcher and silo.

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces is expected to be equipped with 108 RS-24 missile defense systems by 2020, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.