The “Satan-II” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and can hit targets in the US and Europe. The news comes as a Russian MP warned Boris Johnson that the UK was now a “prime target” for Moscow given London’s unwavering military and political support for Kyiv.
According to Express-News, The Russian ICBM was successfully tested last week after years of delay and comes at a time when fears about a possible nuclear conflict are on the rise. Dmitry Rogozin told Russian state TV that the Sarmat missiles would be based in the Siberian town of Uzhur, in the Krasnoyarsk region, about 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) east of Moscow.
They would be deployed no later than the autumn and would be placed in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are to replace. The head of Russia’s space agency claimed the “super-weapon” was an historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia’s children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years. Mr. Rogozin boasted about the power and range of the Kremlin’s latest addition to its atomic armory.
Western military experts said the Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys – easily enough to wipe out territories the size of Britain or France in a single strike.
However, analysts believe the target revealed by Dmitry Rogozin, head of Putin’s Roscosmos space agency, is an ambitious one because Moscow reported its first test-launch only on Wednesday and more tests will be needed before the missile can be deployed.
This week’s test, after years of delays due to funding and technical issues, marks a show of strength by Russia at a time when the war in Ukraine has sent tensions with the US and its allies soaring to their highest levels since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
Rogozin said in an interview with Russian state TV that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in Uzhur, in the Krasnoyarsk region, about 3,000 km (1,860 miles) east of Moscow. He said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, something that would save ‘colossal resources and time’.
The launch of the ‘super-weapon’ was an historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia’s children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years, Rogozin added.
Western concern at the risk of nuclear war has increased since Putin launched his illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 24. When the Russian tyrant burst into the former Soviet state, he made a reference to his nation’s nuclear deterrents, warning the West that any major intervention would ‘lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history’.
