MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday his country has successfully tested the nuclear-powered Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle.

"For the first time, we succeeded not only in launching it from a submarine using its booster engine, but also in activating its nuclear propulsion system, which powered the vehicle for a certain period of time," Putin said during a visit to a military hospital in Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Poseidon represents entirely new technologies and this is a new step in ensuring Russia's security, adding that these technologies can be applied to the country's economy for peaceful purposes.

The tests were conducted in accordance with all international rules and bilateral agreements, the spokesman said.