It was the second test by the Pentagon that would have not been allowed under the INF treaty
inf treaty
The INF Treaty came into force in 1988 banning the Soviet Union & the US from developing & deploying ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 & 5.500 km
However, the US might still return to compliance in 180 days if Moscow meets its demands
Putin, in televised comments, accused the United States of blaming Russia for violations as a pretext for Washington to exit the pact