Status: 01.09.2023, 23:19 p.m.
By: Nadja Zinsmeister
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Putin has sent a new nuclear missile from Russia into action: the intercontinental ballistic missile "Satan II". In doing so, he is sending a clear signal in the Ukraine war.
Moscow - After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his new miracle weapon back in June, the time has come: Russia has sent the new powerful RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile into combat use, according to official figures. The nuclear missile is also known by the nickname "Satan II". What makes the new intercontinental ballistic missile from Russia so dangerous? And what does it mean for the Ukraine war?
The head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, informed on Russian television on Friday (1 September) that Moscow's RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of carrying ten or more nuclear warheads, has been made available for "combat use". He also confirmed to the Russian agency RIA that the weapon, which is stationed in underground missile bays, is in active service.
Russia's new miracle weapon: Putin's Sarmat nuclear missile "Satan II" probably ready for use
The nuclear missile is by no means a surprise. In April 2022, the rocket was already tested by Russia. As a result, Putin declared in June that the Sarmat missiles would go into combat duty "soon". However, that doesn't make them any less dangerous. With "Satan II", Russia has produced its deadliest nuclear weapon since the end of the Cold War, replacing its predecessor, the SS-18 missile. A "Satan II" rocket alone should be able to make an area the size of the US state of Texas disappear from the face of the earth, as the US broadcaster CNN reports, citing Russian information. In Europe, this is roughly equivalent to a country like France.
Relies on nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles from the Samat series: Russian President Vladimir Putin. © SNA/Imago
According to Marc Finaud, head of the arms proliferation department at the Centre for Security Policy Geneva, Russia's new silver bullet is just as fast as all other intercontinental ballistic missiles of the international nuclear powers. As he emphasized in an interview with the Swiss newspaper 20 minutes, the range of the rocket is greater at 16,000 kilometers. "It can also carry up to 15 nuclear warheads or hypersonic gliders that can reach a target without being detected and intercepted," Finaud said.
Russia's nuclear missile "Satan II": What does Putin's weapon mean for the Ukraine war?
The expert further explained: "In a global nuclear war that would break out in the event of an escalation between Russia and NATO, probably no country [in Europe] could be protected from any form of radioactive fallout." If major cities were destroyed by the nuclear weapon, the contaminated smoke would be in the atmosphere, thus "leading to a so-called nuclear winter that will trigger famine."
Such a state of disaster is, of course, an extreme scenario. However, Putin succeeds in demonstrating his power once again with his new "Satan II" missile, especially in times of the Ukraine war. "The real political value of the weapon is that it shows that Russia is still a nuclear superpower. That [Putin] can compete against the U.S. and keep up," said a CNN foreign correspondent in Moscow, describing the significance of the new missile. (nz)