In a step that reflects the escalation of the global nuclear arms race, Russia announced the success of testing the new Sarmat nuclear system, while Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the unprecedented capabilities of the intercontinental missile, stressing that its range could exceed 35,000 kilometers.
While listening to a report on the successful launch, Putin explained that the Sarmat missile is not limited to flying according to a traditional ballistic path, but can also move along a suborbital path, which gives it the ability to bypass current and future missile defense systems.
The Russian President said that the new system has “high accuracy characteristics and tremendous capabilities to penetrate defenses,” adding that “the total power of the warhead is more than four times greater than any similar Western warhead.”
Putin also described the “Sarmat” as “the most powerful missile system in the world,” noting that it is comparable to and even superior to the famous Soviet “Voevoda” system present in the Russian arsenal.
Putin’s statements came after the Commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Sergei Karakaev, announced the successful test launch of the “Sarmat” system, which is the latest intercontinental ballistic missile powered by heavy liquid fuel.
The “Sarmat” is seen as one of Russia’s most prominent nuclear deterrent weapons, due to its ability to carry multiple nuclear warheads and change its trajectory during flight to evade interception systems.
In the same context, Putin stressed that Russia continues to implement its program to gradually develop nuclear forces, pointing to the introduction of the medium-range ground-based “Oreshnik” system into service since 2025, with the possibility of equipping it with nuclear warheads.
The Russian President also revealed that work is in its final stages on two new systems that operate with small nuclear engines, namely the Poseidon unmanned submarine and the Burevestnik cruise missile.
These developments come at a time when relations between Moscow and the West are witnessing escalating tension against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the international conflict over military influence and the nuclear balance.
Observers believe that Russia’s announcement of these new capabilities carries direct deterrence messages to the United States and NATO, in light of growing fears that the nuclear arms race will return to the international forefront in an unprecedented manner since the end of the Cold War.
