Russia puts advanced Sarmat nuclear missile system on ‘combat duty’
Russian space agency chief Yuri Borisov says new intercontinental ballistic missile system is now in service, Russia’s news agencies report.
Russia has officially deployed its advanced Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile system, according to Yuri Borisov, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Known to NATO allies by the codename "Satan," the Sarmat missile can reportedly carry up to 15 nuclear warheads and has an operational range of approximately 18,000 kilometers (about 11,000 miles). Developed to replace Russia's older ICBMs from the 1980s, the system is underground silo-based and designed to evade early detection due to its short initial launch phase. The White House National Security Council has not confirmed the report. This move comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin previously emphasized the missile system's capacity to "reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats" and deter aggression.