Putin briefed on successful Sarmat ICBM test: what is known

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. Russia has successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile system (ICBM), Commander of the Strategic Missile Forces Sergey Karakayev said in a report to Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin. TASS has compiled the main details of the report. Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergey Karakayev reported to the president that the deployment of Sarmat launchers "will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the ground-based strategic nuclear forces to guarantee the destruction of targets and fulfill strategic deterrence missions." He noted that the test results of the Sarmat missile system confirmed the specified characteristics and the correctness of the solutions incorporated into it: "The test results confirmed the correctness of the design and technological solutions, as well as the missile system’s ability to achieve its quality conformance characteristics." The Strategic Missile Forces commander noted that the Russian Sarmat strategic missile system surpasses the Soviet-made Voyevoda system in terms of operational range and combat capabilities: "The Sarmat stationary silo-based strategic missile system with an intercontinental ballistic missile is being developed to replace the Soviet-made Voyevoda system. In terms of combat capabilities, the Sarmat surpasses its predecessor, primarily in terms of range, throw-weight, launch readiness, and the countermeasures it employs, which allow it to reliably overcome existing and future missile defense systems." Karakayev noted that the successful launch of the Russian Sarmat strategic missile system will allow the Russian Armed Forces to deploy the first missile regiment equipped with this system on combat duty by the end of 2026: "The positive results of the Sarmat missile system launch will allow the first missile regiment equipped with this missile system to be deployed on combat duty in the Uzhur formation in the Krasnoyarsk Region by the end of this year." The head of state congratulated the Russian military on the successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. Putin noted that the Sarmat will be put on combat duty by the end of this year: "The Sarmat will indeed be deployed on combat duty by the end of this year." According to the head of state, "The missile can move not only on a ballistic but also on a suborbital trajectory, which allows for a range of over 35,000 km while doubling its accuracy and the ability to penetrate all existing and future missile defense systems," Putin noted. The president emphasized that this is "the most powerful package system in the world, equal in power to the Soviet-era Voyevoda missile system in our arsenal." "The total yield of the delivered warhead is more than four times greater than that of any existing, most powerful Western equivalent," the Russian head of state added. According to Putin, Russia is gradually developing its nuclear forces: "We are gradually implementing the adopted <…> nuclear forces development program." The President recalled that "the Oreshnik ground-based intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile system, which can also be armed with nuclear warheads, has been on combat duty since 2025." He added that "work on two systems equipped with small-sized nuclear power units is in the final stage. They are the unique Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle and the unique Burevestnik global-range cruise missile." Putin noted that work to improve Russia’s deterrence forces has been ongoing since the early 2000s: "Work to improve Russia’s deterrence forces was resumed in the early 2000s and has been ongoing. Frankly, we had other things on our minds back then. Russia was going through a very difficult period in its history." In this regard, the head of state recalled that after the US withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002, Russia was forced "to consider ensuring its strategic security in the new reality and the need to maintain a strategic balance of power and parity." The president noted that the Kinzhal missile systems are already being successfully used in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, and work is underway to improve the accuracy of their non-nuclear version: "We have acquired the Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched missile, which has been on duty since 2017. It is already being used in special military operation zone, but work to improve it, including improving the accuracy of its non-nuclear payload, continues." Putin recalled that work on the Avangard intercontinental-range missile system began in 2004. "It has been on combat duty since 2019."