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| The Russia's Sarmat (Satan II) Nuclear Missile |
International Military - Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to deploy the latest Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the end of 2022. This advanced missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to its intended target. “We have successfully tested the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile.
According to the plan, the first system will enter combat duty at the end of the year," Putin said in his speech to the graduating cadets on Tuesday (21/6/2022), reported by Russia Today.
The Sarmat ICBM was tested last April, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The weapon, which will replace the older Voyevoda missile system, is also known by its NATO reporting name SS-18 Satan and is dubbed the Satan II missile.
The head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, said in April that the Sarmat ICBM is the most powerful missile in its class in terms of range and warhead. "It was designed to be invincible to all existing air defenses," he said.
Rogozin added that Sarmat missiles are much faster than Voyevoda missiles and can strike targets at almost unlimited distances. The commander of Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces, Colonel General Sergey Karakayev, announced this month that modernization with the best combat-ready missiles, including the Sarmat ICBM and the Avangard hypersonic glide weapon, will reach 86% by the end of 2022.
Putin's announcement comes as Russia's war in Ukraine continues. In this chaotic situation, Moscow also threatened Lithuania, which was considered to have blockaded Kaliningrad, a Russian territory in the Baltic region. “Of course, Russia will respond to hostile actions.
Appropriate measures are being worked out, and will be adopted in the near future," said the head of the Russian Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, adding that the consequences of Moscow's response would have a serious negative impact on the Lithuanian people.