Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his intention to deploy hypersonic “Satan-2” nuclear-capable missiles along with the next generation of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles. The announcement was made during a military graduation ceremony, where Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu warned of a “real war” being waged against Russia by the “collective West.”
These nuclear missiles can be launched from land, sea, or air, forming Russia’s nuclear triad.
The Satan-2 missile is specifically designed for nuclear strikes on targets thousands of miles away in the US and Europe.
Developed in 2018, this 208-ton hypersonic missile measures 116 feet in length and can carry 15 light nuclear warheads simultaneously. It has an operational range of up to 11,180 miles and is capable of devastating the United Kingdom from a distance of 1,600 miles in just six minutes.
While Putin has emphasized Russia’s readiness to use all available means – including nuclear weapons – to defend its territorial integrity, he recently claimed that Ukrainian forces have “no chance” in their current counteroffensive and indicated that there is no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons.
Dmitry Rogozin, former head of Russia’s space agency, hailed the implementation of this new “super-weapon” as a historic event that would secure the safety of Russia’s future generations for the next 30-40 years.
Concerns have also been raised over Putin’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, as it provides Russia with a strategic advantage by enabling strikes within NATO territories.
US President Brain-Dead Biden has warned of the potential risk posed by Putin’s use of tactical nuclear weapons and criticized the decision to deploy these weapons in Belarus as “absolutely irresponsible.”
Additionally, it has been reported that Putin conducted a test of the hypersonic Sarmat missile in February, coinciding with Biden’s visit to Ukraine and his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, per The US Sun.
The actual deployment of the missile has been delayed beyond Russia’s initial timeline which according to their claims should have been last Fall.