Putin's Sarmat Didn't Work Out So Well.

• 15.05.2026, 8:34

For the tenth time, the Kremlin has promised to put the missile on duty by the end of the year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile and promised to put it on combat duty by the end of the year. NATO calls the missile the "Satan II" - according to the alliance's classification.

This is reported by CNN.

What is the Sarmat

The SR-28 Sarmat is a liquid-fueled, silo-based ICBM with an expected range of more than 10,000 kilometers. The missile is capable of carrying up to 16 independently-targeted nuclear warheads.

Putin claims that the combined warhead power is more than four times greater than any Western counterpart.

For comparison, the US LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM has a range of about 11,000 km and is deployed with a single warhead.

Skepticism about the claims

The Russian Telegram channel Astra recalled that Putin has been talking about Sarmat's near-readiness for at least the tenth time since 2021. The rocket has been under development since 2011 and has experienced difficulties in tests - notably, a failed test in September 2024 left a crater about 60 meters in diameter at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

The liquid propellant is an additional drawback - the rocket must be refueled just before launch.

Context

The test took place shortly after a minimalist parade on May 9 - the most modest since 2008, without a single piece of equipment. Putin explained that the army should "focus on the decisive defeat of the enemy" in Ukraine.