The media reports suggesting that Russia is developing a strategic bomber that is capable of performing tasks in space, do not correspond to reality, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement received by TASS on Thursday.

The ministry said that the media had misinterpreted the words of a military academy representative about an alleged development of "a space bomber".

"The development of advanced engines for space exploration has been continuously conducted in Russia since the middle of the previous century. However, the creation of some ‘space bombers’ in the Serpukhov branch of the Academy of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces is out of the question. Such design and development work is at least not within the competence of the Russian Defense Ministry’s educational establishments", said a ministry representative.

"The words of a teacher of that military academy about the hypothetical possibility of using his own theoretical insights in the sphere of defense engine technology were obviously misinterpreted," he said.