Russia has carried out a test launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of its ongoing nuclear modernisation programme, a move President Vladimir Putin praised shortly after claiming that the conflict in Ukraine is approaching its end.
“This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin said, adding that the combined power of the Sarmat’s independently targeted warheads is more than four times greater than that of any Western counterpart.
Putin said the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service by the end of the year. It has been developed to replace the ageing Soviet-era Voyevoda system. The Russian leader has repeatedly invoked nuclear rhetoric since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022, in what is widely seen as an attempt to deter Western support for Kyiv.
Since coming to power in 2000, Vladimir Putin has overseen major upgrades to Russia’s nuclear forces, replacing Soviet-era systems with new intercontinental missiles, submarines, and strategic bombers. The modernisation has also prompted parallel upgrades in the United States.
Tensions have increased further after the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear arms treaty expired in February, removing limits on the two largest nuclear arsenals and raising concerns of a renewed arms race.
At the centre of Russia’s arsenal is the Sarmat missile, designed to replace Soviet-era systems and described by Putin as “the most powerful missile in the world,” with a range of over 21,000 miles and advanced precision capabilities, despite a mixed testing record.
Other systems include the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Oreshnik intermediate-range missile used in Ukraine, and developing systems like the Poseidon underwater drone and Burevestnik cruise missile, both designed for long-range, hard-to-intercept strikes.
Russia says these developments are intended to counter U.S. missile defence systems and maintain strategic balance and nuclear parity.