Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised the entry into service this year of the newest ICBM, the Sarmat, a superpowered system that American sources said would have failed.
• Also read: A year after the Russian invasion, the UN chief castigates “the affront to our collective conscience”
“As always, we pay particular attention to strengthening the nuclear triad. This year, the first launchers of the Sarmat missile system will be put into operation,” he said in a video released on the eve of the first anniversary of his offensive against Ukraine and on the occasion of Defender of the Fatherland Day.
On Tuesday, during his long-awaited annual speech, Mr Putin announced the commissioning of more nuclear systems without specifying which ones, and announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the New Start treaty, the latest bilateral nuclear disarmament agreement linking Russians and Americans .
The Sarmat, first announced to enter service in 2022, was described last April by the Kremlin master as a missile capable of “outsmarting all anti-aircraft systems” and that “will make you think when you’re trying to threaten.” . Russia.
It is part of the rocket series presented by Vladimir Putin as “invincible” in 2018. According to him, the Sarmat, dubbed Satan II by Westerners, has an almost unlimited scope.
But Sarmat’s latest trial stalled this week, according to CNN, citing US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Wednesday’s revelations.
“Any information worth releasing goes through the Department of Defense,” he said, before warning of Western “provocations.”