STORY: :: Released May 12, 2026
:: Russian Defence Ministry
:: Putin says Russia will deploy its new Sarmat nuclear missile 'by the end of this year'
:: Moscow, Russia / May 12, 2026
:: Vladimir Putin, Russian President
"The missile can travel not only along a ballistic trajectory but also along a sub-orbital one. This, thirdly, makes it possible to ensure a range of more than 35,000 km while at the same time doubling its accuracy. Finally, it has the ability to penetrate all existing and future anti-missile defense systems. By the end of this year, "Sarmat" will indeed be placed on combat duty."
The planned deployment of the missile - designed to deliver nuclear warheads to strike targets thousands of miles away in the United States or Europe - follows years of setbacks and delays.
Putin, in televised comments, said the yield of the warhead was more than four times greater than any Western equivalent and its range exceeded 21,750 miles (35,000 km).
Western security analysts say Putin has made exaggerated claims for the capabilities of some of Russia's new generation of nuclear weapons, part of a modernization program he first announced in 2018.
Sarmat has seen failures in the past - one test in September 2024 left a deep crater at the launch silo, according to Western experts.
