Russia test‑fires Sarmat ICBM, calls it the world’s most powerful missile
On 12 May 2026 Russia conducted a successful test launch of its new RS‑28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the first confirmed flight since a failed test in 2024 and a crash‑landing in 2025. President Vladimir Putin, speaking to Strategic Missile Forces commander Sergei Karakayev, declared the weapon “the most powerful missile in the world”, noting that its warhead yield is more than four times that of any Western counterpart and that it can “penetrate all existing and future anti‑missile defence systems”. The missile, dubbed “Satan II” by NATO, weighs about 208 tonnes, can carry up to ten independently guided warheads, and boasts a range exceeding 35 000 km, enabling sub‑orbital trajectories that bypass conventional radar coverage. Putin said the Sarmat will enter combat service by the end of the year, replacing the aging Soviet‑era Voyevoda missiles as part of Russia’s broader nuclear‑force modernisation. The test follows the February 2026 expiry of the New START treaty, leaving the United States and Russia without formal limits on strategic nuclear arsenals, and has prompted Western analysts to warn of a renewed arms‑race dynamic.