MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernize the country's nuclear forces. President Vladimir Putin hailed the launch just days after claiming that the fighting in Ukraine is nearing an end.
Putin Declares Sarmat the World's Most Powerful Missile
Putin said the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda. "This is the most powerful missile in the world," Putin declared. He added that the combined power of the Sarmat's individually targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart.
The Russian leader has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine. After overseeing a military parade on Red Square on Saturday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, which for the first time in nearly two decades didn't include heavy weapons, Putin declared the conflict in Ukraine is coming to an end.
Modernization of Russia's Nuclear Triad
Since coming to power in 2000, Putin has overseen efforts to upgrade the Soviet-built components of the Russian nuclear triad. This includes deploying hundreds of new, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, commissioning new nuclear submarines, and modernizing nuclear-capable bombers. Russia's effort to revamp its nuclear forces pushed the United States to launch a costly modernization of its arsenal.
The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the U.S. expired in February, leaving no caps on the world's two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century. This has fueled fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.
Sarmat Missile: Satan II
The Sarmat, designated "Satan II" in the West, is meant to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles. Its development began in 2011. Before Tuesday, the missile had only one known successful test and reportedly suffered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024. Putin said Tuesday that the Sarmat is as powerful as the Voyevoda but with higher precision. It is capable of suborbital flight, giving it a range of more than 35,000 kilometers (21,700 miles) and an extended capability to penetrate any prospective missile defenses.
Other New Russian Weapons
Moscow's new weapons include the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound. The first vehicles have already entered service. Russia has also commissioned the new nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, and used its conventionally-armed version twice to strike Ukraine. Oreshnik's range of up to 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) makes it capable of reaching any target in Europe.
Putin also announced Russia was in the "final stages" of the development of the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile powered by miniature atomic reactors. The Poseidon is designed to explode near enemy coastlines and cause a radioactive tsunami. The Burevestnik has virtually unlimited range thanks to nuclear propulsion, allowing it to loiter for days, circling air defenses and attacking from an unexpected direction.
Strategic Balance and U.S. Missile Shield
Putin has described those new weapons as part of a Russian response to the U.S. missile shield that Washington developed after its 2001 withdrawal from a Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet pact that limited missile defenses. Russian military planners have feared a missile shield could tempt Washington to launch a first strike that would knock out most of Moscow's nuclear arsenal in hopes of intercepting a small number of surviving missiles fired in retaliation. "We were forced to consider ensuring our strategic security in the face of the new reality and the need to maintain a strategic balance of power and parity," Putin said.
