Russian state television aired footage showing Sergei Karakayev, commander of the country’s strategic missile forces, informing Putin that the missile launch had been completed successfully on Tuesday.

Speaking after the test, Putin said the nuclear-capable missile would officially enter military service before the end of the year. He described the Sarmat as a weapon built to overcome any missile defence system currently in existence.

According to Putin, the missile can travel more than 35,000 kilometres through suborbital flight, allowing it to strike targets across the globe. He also claimed that the missile carries a warhead more than four times stronger than similar systems developed in Western countries.

The Sarmat missile, known in the West as “Satan II,” is expected to replace around 40 ageing Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles that have been part of Russia’s nuclear arsenal for decades. Putin said the new missile matches the power of the older system while offering greater precision and improved technology.

The development of the Sarmat program began in 2011, but the project has faced several delays and technical problems over the years. Before this latest launch, the missile had only one publicly known successful test. Reports also suggested that an earlier test in 2024 ended in a massive explosion after the launch was aborted.

The latest missile test comes at a time when global nuclear agreements between Russia and the United States have weakened significantly. The New START treaty, which limited the number of strategic nuclear weapons held by both countries, expired in February. Its expiration marked the first time in more than 50 years that the world’s two largest nuclear powers are operating without formal limits on their nuclear arsenals.

Military analysts say the successful launch of the Sarmat missile highlights Russia’s continued investment in advanced nuclear weapons as competition between major world powers continues to shape global security.

Source: Al Jazeera