posted on 04/21/2022 06:00
(Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense)
The Kremlin’s warning came in the form of the launch of the Sarmat, a newgeneration ICBM capable of reaching targets 18,000 kilometers away and carrying nuclear warheads. Yesterday at 15:12 (9:12 GMT) the projectile entered the sky at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, 800 km north of Moscow. As the bombing in Ukraine continued and shortly after the test, Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated the success of the shooting in an intimidating tone. “He (Sarmat) has no analogue in the world and will not have for a long time. This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat capabilities of our armed forces, reliably protect the security of Russia from external threats and weaken those who threaten our country with unbridled and aggressive rhetoric, think twice,” Putin said.
Russian Major General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said the missile hit its target more than 5,000 kilometers from Plesetsk: the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East. “Once the test program is completed, Sarmat will become part of the Russian Strategic Armed Forces,” he assured. The United States downplayed the importance of the test. According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, Moscow “duly notified Washington of the launch” in accordance with its obligations under the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT). He also said that Sarmat poses no threat to the US and its allies.
The director of strategy, technology and arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (in Berlin), William Alberque, told the Kurier that Russia has been conducting socalled “ejection tests”, in which pushing the missile out of the silo and bringing it there is the triggering of the first stage of launch. “These operations took place in December 2017, March 2018 and May of the same year,” he recalled. “Today’s (yesterday’s) test is said to be the first full test of all phases, with Russia reporting that the warheads reached the Kamchatka Peninsula at about 5,700 km. It is worth noting that Moscow intended to conduct this test in the spring of 2019. but the rockets were not positioned in the silo until 2021. The program is significantly delayed.”
For his part, Nikolai Sokov, an expert at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and NonProliferation (VCDNP), called the launch of Sarmat “a routine event”. “The program has been running since 2011 and has come to a logical conclusion after a delay of about 42 months,” he told the report. He sees a “probable coincidence” in the fact that the test was taken at a time when Russia was at war. “It is evident that unavoidable propagandistic statements were made at the time of the test, but they are no different from similar statements about the completion of other previous war programs.”
According to Sokov, the Sarmat was designed for the purpose of penetrating the US missile defense system and being part of Russia’s nuclear deterrent capability. “The choice of a heavy ICBM was determined by its versatility: it can carry many variants of payloads multiple warheads, as well as defense penetrating aids designed to evade a missile defense system and maneuver supersonic warheads,” he said.
Help
At the front, the strategic port city of Mariupol (southeast) threatened to fall into the hands of Russian mercenaries and soldiers. Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mijailo Podoliak suggested holding a “special round” of negotiations in Mariupol itself “without conditions”. David Arakhamia, another Ukrainian negotiator, assured that he and Podoliak “are ready to go to Mariupol and talk to the Russian side about the withdrawal of our military garrison and civilians.” Soldiers were still entrenched in a steel mill.
During a visit to Kyiv, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and promised that he would do “everything possible” for Ukraine to “win the war”. “You are not alone. We are with you and will do everything we can to support your efforts,” he said.
UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres sent letters to Zelenskyy and Putin asking to be received in Kyiv and Moscow. “He wants to discuss urgent measures to bring peace to Ukraine and the future of multilateralism,” said spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. Russian troops are fighting in the Donbass (east), a region partially controlled by proMoscow separatists.
Three questions for Sergiy Taruta
Sergiy Taruta, Ukrainian parliamentarian and former governor of Donetsk (between March and October 2014), in Donbass region. Born in Mariupol
Sergiy Taruta, former governor of Donetsk (Photo: Personal archive)
How do you see the Russian offensive in Donbass?
Ukraine has no choice but to repel the attack by Russian troops in Donbass. We must return the Ukrainian territories to the 2014 borders that existed before the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea. Otherwise we have the situation of 2014 a latent conflict. In 56 days of resistance, Ukraine has shown that it can not only hold positions, but also repel the offensive of Russian troops. There is only one possible outcome for Ukraine: victory. For us Ukrainians, it is about survival as a nation. I believe we have what it takes to win: spirit, will, support from Western partners and eight years of experience in countering Russian aggression.
Are you worried about the Russian ICBM test?
Putin loves the show. The test of this missile is Putin’s new show. He does it to instill fear, because fear blinds determination. Ukrainians are fighting for independence. Being afraid is out of our script. Putin is capable of anything, including using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But we know how to defend, counter and destroy. We turn your guns into scrap metal.
Is there a risk that Russia will make another attempt to capture Kyiv?
Theoretically there is such a possibility. However, in practice, given the presence of Ukrainian forces and the morale of our troops, this probability is small.
“Climbing is a threat to the world,” says Nikolai Sokov
“There are many rumors that Russia could use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, but that is pure speculation; such use is highly unlikely. In that case, nuclear weapons will certainly come into play first as an explicit threat and possibly even as a use.
The situation around Ukraine is quite unpredictable, and that is beyond Russia’s policy of explanation. It is not entirely clear what actions the UN considers tolerable and what could trigger a vigorous Russian response. Such an escalation, of course, poses the greatest threat to the world.”
“We ask for help”
Credit: personal archive
In a video released on Tuesday, Sergei Volyna commander of the Ukrainian Army’s 36th Naval Brigade asked for help so that he and his men would not die. “This could be the last call of our lives. We are probably facing our final days, if not hours. The enemy outnumbers us 10 to 1. He has the advantage in air, artillery, ground forces, equipment and tanks. We defend a single object, the Azovstal industry, where, in addition to the military, there are also civilians who fell victim to this war. We appeal and implore world leaders to help us. We ask you to use the process known as “extraction” and bring us onto the territory of a state that is a third actor (in the war),” he said.