The ballistic missile, known as Satan-2, was successfully tested in Russia today, with Vladimir Putin calling it ‘the most powerful missile system in the world’
Putin has “successfully tested” the deadly Sarmat nuclear-capable rocket – known as ‘Satan-2’ – in a show of strength to the West.
The so-called ‘Doomsday rocket’, which weighs 208 tonnes and is as tall as a 14-storey tower block, was described by Putin as “the most powerful missile system in the world”. The Kremlin leader said it would “indeed be deployed on combat duty” at the end of this year.
He boasted: “The total yield of the delivered warhead is more than four times greater than that of any existing, most powerful Western equivalent. Most importantly, the missile can travel not only on a ballistic trajectory, but also on a suborbital one.
“Thirdly, this allows for a range of over 35,000 kilometres while simultaneously doubling its missile defence performance. And finally, it has the ability to penetrate all existing and prospective missile defence systems.
“At the end of this year, Sarmat will indeed be deployed on combat duty.”
Yet this remains only the second successful test of the missile – if the Kremlin’s claim is correct – when most new strategic missiles need dozens of tests before deployment.
Putin also said that his Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile – used twice in Ukraine – was nuclear-capable, in another warning to the West.
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