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![]() by AFP Staff Writers Moscow (AFP) April 20, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia has successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, saying the weapon capable of carrying nuclear charges will make Kremlin's enemies "think twice." The Sarmat -- dubbed Satan 2 by Western analysts -- is among Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has called "invincible," and which also include the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles. Last month, Russia said it used Kinzhal for the first time in warfare to strike a target in Ukraine, where Russian troops have been engaged in a special military operation since February 24. "I congratulate you on the successful launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile," Putin told the army in televised remarks on Wednesday. "This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice," Putin said. Russia's defence ministry said in a statement the test "successfully" took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia. According to the ministry, the missile delivered training warheads to the Kura test range of the Kamchatka peninsula, in Russia's Far East. "Sarmat is the most powerful missile with the longest range of destruction of targets in the world, which will significantly increase the combat power of our country's strategic nuclear forces," the ministry said. The Sarmat superheavy intercontinental ballistic missile is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track. Weighing more than 200 tonnes and able to transport multiple warheads, Putin says the missile can hit any target on Earth.
Russian ICBM test 'routine' and 'not a threat': Pentagon Moscow "properly notified" Washington of the test following its obligations under the 2011 New START treaty, which placed limits on the two countries' nuclear weapons, said Department of Defense Spokesman John Kirby. "Testing is routine, and it was not a surprise," Kirby told reporters. The Pentagon "has not deemed the test to be a threat to the United States or its allies," he told reporters. "Of course, the department remains focused on Russia's unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine," Kirby added. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced the test of the next-generation Sarmat ICBM, saying it will make the Kremlin's enemies "think twice." "This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice," Putin told the army in televised remarks. Asked about Putin's comments, a senior US defense official said Wednesday that they were "unhelpful." "We find that rhetoric to be to be unhelpful, given the current context of things, and certainly it's not the kind of thing that we would expect from a responsible nuclear power, especially in the current environment," the official said. The US Defense Department said on March 2 that it postponed a test of its own Minuteman III ICBM to avoid escalating tensions over Russia's then-week-old invasion of Ukraine. At the time, Kirby said the postponement was ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "to demonstrate that we are a responsible nuclear power."
![]() ![]() Russian ICBM test 'routine' and 'not a threat': Pentagon Washington (AFP) April 20, 2022 Russia's test of a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile is not seen as threatening to the US and its allies, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Moscow "properly notified" Washington of the test following its obligations under the 2011 New START treaty, which placed limits on the two countries' nuclear weapons, said Department of Defense Spokesman John Kirby. "Testing is routine, and it was not a surprise," Kirby told reporters. The Pentagon "has not deemed the test to be a threat ... read more
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