Russia on Tuesday successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, Sarmat ICBM, described by President Vladimir Putin as the “most powerful missile” in the world.
Putin said the missile would enter the battlefield at the end of the year and added that its warhead yield was over four times greater than its Western counterparts.
He reported the weapon was capable of suborbital flight, with a range exceeding 35,000 km, and said it could “penetrate all existing and future anti-missile defence systems.”
Russia began developing the Sarmat in 2011 but suffered major setabacks in the following years. The missile had only one successful test before Tuesday and had encountered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.
The Sarmat is set to replace around 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles, with Putin claiming the missile was as powerful as the Voyevoda but with better precision.
Putin revealed the Sarmat ICBM in 2018, along with a set of new weapons including the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, noted for its capability of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound. The first vehicles had already entered combat.
The President also declared that Russia was in the “final stages” of developing a nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile. Both are powered by miniature atomic reactors.
The weapons were developed in response to Washington’s missile shield that was established after withdrawing from a U.S-Soviet Union agreement from the Cold War-era that restricted missile defences. The shield raised concerns from the Russian military, fearing it could influence the United States to launch a strike against Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
“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,” said Putin.
As the last bilateral nuclear control treaty between Russia and the United States, New START, expired in February, there has not been any formal limit on nuclear operations for the first time in over 50 years. There are currently no reports regarding a new agreement between Moscow and Washington. U.S President Donald Trump had also pushed for the new treaty to include China. However, Beijing has dismissed the idea.
