Russia has test launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, raising fears of a further escalation of Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine.
The Russian leader said the Sarmat missile, also known as Satan-2, will provide ‘food for thought for those who try to threaten Russia’ and will make his enemies ‘think twice’.
The first launch was carried out today from an underground silo at the Plesetsk spaceport in northern Russia at a moment of heightened tensions after Putin threatened the use of nuclear weapons in response to perceived Western provocation.
The Kremlin claims the unmatched 16,000mph missile, which has been in development for years, could destroy the UK, hit any target on earth and carry 12 nuclear warheads.
It is among Russia’s next-generation missiles that Putin has called ‘invincible,’ and which also include the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles.
Russia has test launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, its Defence Ministry announced today
Vladimir Putin watches the test launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile from Moscow
Vladimir Putin said the unmatched Sarmat missile will provide ‘food for thought for those who try to threaten Russia’
Putin was shown on TV being briefed by the military that the missile, expected to go into service this year, had been launched from the country’s northwest and hit targets in the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east.
He told the army: ‘I congratulate you on the successful launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.
‘This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, 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.’
Last month, Russia said it used Kinzhal for the first time in warfare to strike a target in Ukraine.
Putin added today: ‘The new complex has the highest tactical and technical characteristics and is capable of overcoming all modern means of anti-missile defence. It has no analogues in the world and won’t have for a long time to come.
‘This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia’s security from external threats and provide food for thought for those who, in the heat of frenzied aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country.’
Russia has claimed its most potent nuclear missile, the 16,000mph hypersonic ‘Satan-2’, can destroy the UK
Putin was seen today in a video conference with his defence minister Sergei Shoigu, to play down speculation of a rift, and amid claims he had been sidelined him from overseeing the war in Ukraine.
Other rumours suggested Shoigu had suffered a heart attack or coronary problems.
The men appeared on friendly terms today but Shoigu was seen carefully reading his pre-prepared remarks.
Russian state media added: ‘Sarmat is the most powerful missile with the longest range of destruction of targets in the world, which will significantly increase the combat power of our country’s strategic nuclear forces.’
Satan-2 is believed to be the biggest beast in Russia’s nuclear arsenal. with an estimated 11,000-mile range and a 10-tonne payload.
It is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.
Weighing more than 200 tonnes and able to transport multiple warheads, Putin says the missile can hit any target on Earth.
The Sarmat is a new heavy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile which Russia is expected to deploy with 10 or more warheads on each missile
Yesterday, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia is not considering using nuclear weapons ‘at this stage’ of its invasion.
In an interview in which he parroted Putin’s propaganda over Moscow’s brutal military actions, Lavrov blamed the US, the West and NATO expansion for his country’s so-called ‘special operation’.
When asked by India Today whether Russia had any intention of using nuclear weapons, Lavrov said: ‘At this stage, we are considering the option of conventional weapons only,’ according to Russia’s RIA state news agency.
Lavrov, a long-time Kremlin mouthpiece and staunch ally of Putin, said in late January that Russia would not invade its neighbour. On February 24, less a month after his comments, Putin ordered Moscow’s troops into Ukraine.
Days after, Putin put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert, and threatened NATO allies with ‘consequences greater than any you have faced in history’ should they intervene in the Ukraine conflict.
This raised fears that the Russian leader would be prepared to use nuclear weapons in the conflict, something no country has done since the Second World
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk