Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a gathering with Commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Colonel Basic Sergei Karakayev by way of video hyperlink on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia Might 12, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score:
MIKHAIL METZEL
Russia on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as a part of efforts to modernise the nation’s nuclear forces, a launch hailed by Vladimir Putin simply days after his declare that the preventing in Ukraine is nearing an finish.
Putin mentioned that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter fight service on the finish of the yr. It was constructed to switch the getting older Soviet-built Voyevoda.
“That is probably the most highly effective missile on the earth,” Putin declared, including that the mixed energy of the Sarmat’s individually focused warheads is greater than 4 instances larger than that of any Western counterpart.
The Russian chief has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to attempt to deter the West from ramping up help for Ukraine.
After overseeing a military parade on Pink Sq. on Saturday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World Battle II, which for the primary time in almost twenty years didn’t embrace heavy weapons, Putin declared the battle in Ukraine is coming to an finish.
Russia accelerates nuclear modernisation
Since coming to energy in 2000, Putin has overseen efforts to improve the Soviet-built parts of the Russian nuclear triad — deploying lots of of new, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, commissioning new nuclear submarines and modernizing nuclear-capable bombers.
Russia’s effort to revamp its nuclear forces pushed the US to launch a expensive modernisation of its arsenal.
The final remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the US expired in February, leaving no caps on the world’s two largest atomic arsenals for the primary time in additional than a half-century and fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.
Sarmat and next-generation weapons techniques
The Sarmat — designated “Devil II” within the West — is supposed to switch about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles. Its improvement started in 2011 and earlier than Tuesday, the missile had just one identified profitable check and reportedly suffered a large explosion throughout an abortive check in 2024.
Putin mentioned Tuesday that the Sarmat — a part of a slew of new weapons that Putin revealed in 2018, claiming they might render any potential US missile defences ineffective — is as highly effective because the Voyevoda however with a better precision. It’s able to suborbital flight, he mentioned, giving it a spread of greater than 35,000 kilometres (21,700 miles) and an prolonged functionality to penetrate any potential missile defences.
Moscow’s new weapons embrace the Avangard hypersonic glide car, able to flying 27 instances sooner than the velocity of sound. The primary autos have already entered service.
Russia has additionally commissioned the new nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, and used its conventionally-armed model twice to strike Ukraine. Oreshnik’s vary of as much as 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) makes it able to reaching any goal in Europe.
Poseidon and Burevestnik initiatives
Putin additionally introduced Russia was within the “last phases” of the event of the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile powered by miniature atomic reactors.
The Poseidon is designed to blow up close to enemy coastlines and trigger a radioactive tsunami. The Burevestnik has nearly limitless vary due to nuclear propulsion, permitting it to loiter for days, circling air defences and attacking from an sudden route.
Russia cites US missile protect issues
Putin has described these new weapons as a part of a Russian response to the US missile protect that Washington developed after its 2001 withdrawal from a Chilly Battle-era US-Soviet pact that restricted missile defences.
Russian military planners have feared a missile protect might tempt Washington to launch a primary strike that may knock out most of Moscow’s nuclear arsenal in hopes of intercepting a small variety of surviving missiles fired in retaliation.
“We have been pressured to contemplate guaranteeing our strategic safety within the face of the new actuality and the necessity to keep a strategic steadiness of energy and parity,” Putin mentioned.
Revealed on Might 12, 2026
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