Russia puts advanced nuclear-capable Sarmat missile system on combat duty
Russia has put into service an advanced nuclear missile system, which President Vladimir Putin once said would make the country’s enemies “think twice” about their threats, the country's space agency has said.
The head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency declared on Friday that the country has deployed the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles on "combat duty".
“The Sarmat strategic system has assumed combat alert posture,” said Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov.
The missile, whose development was announced in 2018, is the size of a 14-storey tower block.
In a speech to reveal the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in March 2018, Putin touted a series of new modern weapons that he said were capable of rendering US missile defenses “ineffective”. He described the Sarmat as a “unique weapon.”
The weapon system, also called "Satan II," has a short initial launch phase, allowing little time for surveillance systems to track it.
It is capable of carrying at least 10 nuclear warheads and is intended to replace the R-36 ICBMs that are known by the NATO reporting name of Satan.
Russia has said that the missile system can strike over the North or South Pole.
“Based on experts’ estimates, the RS-28 Sarmat is capable of delivering a MIRVed warhead weighing up to 10 tonnes to any location worldwide, both over the North and South Poles,” Russian news agency TASS cited Roscosmos chief as saying.
Last year, after Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine, President Putin said the Sarmat would “reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice.”
Since the onset of the war, Putin has repeatedly warned the United States and its Western allies against involvement in the conflict, saying that Russia would use any weapon in its arsenal to protect its security.
Russia says the West and NATO are playing a direct role in the Ukraine conflict by pouring advanced weapons and military equipment into Ukraine.
It has frequently warned that the continued supply of Western arms and military equipment to the Ukrainian military would only prolong the war and add to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
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