MOSCOW — Russia plans to field its advanced Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile by year’s end, President Vladimir Putin declared Tuesday, hailing it as “the most powerful in the world” with unmatched range and penetration power.
The Sarmat, capable of hurling nuclear warheads over 35,000 km (21,750 miles) to hit U.S. or European targets, comes after years of testing delays and mishaps, including a 2024 silo explosion noted by Western observers. Putin claimed its warhead yield dwarfs Western rivals by over fourfold and it can breach any current or future missile defenses.
State television aired Strategic Missile Forces commander Sergei Karakayev briefing Putin on a successful Tuesday test. “Deploying Sarmat-equipped launchers will boost ground-based nuclear forces’ strike guarantees and deterrence,” Karakayev stated.
Western analysts dismiss some of Putin’s boasts about Russia’s 2018-launched nuclear upgrades as inflated. Since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, Putin has frequently spotlighted Moscow’s vast nuclear stockpile, moves the West views as warnings against deeper Kyiv support.