Russia has once again hailed the RS‑28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile as the “most powerful missile system in the world,” with President Vladimir Putin announcing its latest successful test and promising deployment by the end of 2026. The missile, dubbed “Satan‑2” in the West, is designed to replace ageing Soviet‑era systems and boasts unprecedented range and payload capacity.

The announcement came during a videoconference between Putin and Colonel General Sergei Karakayev, Commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces. Karakayev reported that the missile was launched successfully at 11:15 a.m. Moscow time, achieving all mission objectives.

Putin congratulated the military, scientists, engineers, and defence industry workers involved, emphasising that the Sarmat represents a cornerstone of Russia’s strategic deterrence posture.

Putin recalled that Russia resumed work on strengthening its deterrence forces in the early 2000s, following the United States’ withdrawal from the Anti‑Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002. He stated that Moscow was compelled to reassess its strategic security and began developing advanced weapons systems “that have no equivalents in the world.” The Sarmat, he claimed, is capable of penetrating current and future missile defence systems, ensuring Russia’s ability to maintain credible deterrence.

The Sarmat missile is said to be comparable in strength to the Soviet‑era Voyevoda system but significantly more advanced. Putin highlighted that its payload yield is more than four times greater than any existing Western counterpart.

The missile can travel along both ballistic and suborbital trajectories, extending its operational range to more than 35,000 kilometres while improving targeting accuracy. This capability, he asserted, makes it capable of bypassing any missile defence systems currently in service or under development.

Development of the Sarmat began in 2011, but the program has faced repeated delays and setbacks. The missile suffered catastrophic test failures in 2024 and 2025, including a silo explosion, before this latest successful launch. Russia first publicly unveiled the Sarmat in 2018 as part of its next‑generation strategic weapons initiative.

The first confirmed successful launch occurred in April 2022 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, shortly after Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite repeated promises of deployment since 2020, the system has yet to enter service, though Putin now insists it will be placed on combat duty by the end of 2026, with the first regiment stationed in the Krasnoyarsk region.

The missile is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads, including MIRVs, and is intended to replace approximately 40 Soviet‑built Voyevoda missiles still in service. Western analysts have designated it “Satan‑2,” underscoring its role as one of the most formidable nuclear weapons in existence.

The test comes at a time of heightened concern over the collapse of arms control frameworks, with the expiration of the New START treaty earlier this year leaving Russia and the United States without formal constraints on their nuclear arsenals for the first time in decades.

Putin also referred to other strategic weapons systems developed in recent years, including the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Kinzhal air‑launched hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik medium‑range missile system, and the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle.

He noted that work was nearing completion on the Burevestnik global‑range cruise missile, powered by a miniature nuclear propulsion unit. These systems, he said, collectively reinforce Russia’s deterrence posture and demonstrate its technological superiority in strategic weaponry.

The Russian President concluded by congratulating the Ministry of Defence, military personnel, researchers, engineers, defence industry managers, lead contractors, and thousands of workers involved in the cooperative production of the Sarmat missile. He described the achievement as a clear success and an important milestone in Russia’s defence modernisation.

ANI