Russia confirmed this week that the missile RS-28 Sarmatnamed as Satan II by NATO, will be deployed and in service before the end of 2026. And with this objective in mind, the Kremlin has already carried out a launch test.
What makes the RS-28 Sarmat so fearsome
To understand why this missile generates so much geopolitical tension, you have to look at the numbers. The Sarmat measures 35.3 meters longweighs 220 tons and can travel at a maximum speed of 24,900 km/h.
Its range reaches 18,000 kilometerswhich means that it can impact any point on the planet without needing to change launch frightening. That makes it unique among the intercontinental missiles currently in circulation.
The most chilling thing of all, although it may seem like science fiction, is its carrying capacity. A single missile can carry:
- Until 15 independent nuclear warheads (MIRV technology)
- Decoys and countermeasures to circumvent missile defense systems
- Variable flight paths that make interception difficult
Each warhead has an estimated power between 150 and 300 kilotonsabout 200 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. Simply put, a single shot could level an area equivalent to all of France.
The bumpy road to deployment
Not everything has been a triumphant march for Sarmat. The project started in 2011 with a target deployment for 2018, but delays piled up for years, according to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In September 2024, what no one expected happened, a failed launch test left a 60 meter crater in the Plesetsk frightening silo, in the Arkhangelsk region. Experts consulted by The Guardian did not hesitate to describe it as “a serious incident.”
Despite that setback, Russia moved forward. The successful test in May 2026 marked the turning point, and Putin seized the moment to announce that the missile will enter combat service later this year. What we see here is a program that, after multiple setbacks, is finally reaching the final stretch.
Russia has a new pillar in its nuclear deterrent
The Sarmat is not just another missile, it is a direct replacement for the old one R-36M2 Voevoda Soviet, which had been the pillar of Russian nuclear deterrence. With this replacement, Russia substantially modernizes its strategic strike force.
Putin has made clear that the goal of the weapon is to make the West “think twice before threatening Russia.” It is no coincidence that the announcement comes at a time of high tensions with NATO due to the conflict in Ukraine.
The West’s response, for now, is one of contained alarm. Current missile defense systems, such as THAAD or the US Aegis, are not designed to intercept a missile with such variable trajectories and so many simultaneous warheads. We are before a weapon that questions the balance of dread which has maintained nuclear peace since the Cold War.
What is the Satan II missile and why is it called that?
The Satan II is the nickname assigned by NATO to the Russian RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. The name comes from the previous designation of its Soviet predecessor (nicknamed simply “Satan”) and is American. in the West to identify the modernized version of this nuclear arsenal.
When does Russia plan to deploy the Sarmat missile?
Putin confirmed in May 2026, after a successful test, that the RS-28 Sarmat will enter combat service before the end of 2026. The program is years behind the current target of 2018.
Can the Satan II missile be intercepted?
According to analysts, it is extremely difficult to intercept. The Sarmat can change trajectory during flight, carries decoys to deceive radars and carries multiple independent warheads that separate to attack different targets simultaneously. Current missile defense systems are not prepared to respond to that combination of capabilities.
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