Russia Sets Year-End Target to Put Sarmat Nuclear Missile on Combat Duty

After a successful test launch on Tuesday, Russia’s top missile commander briefed President Vladimir Putin confirming the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM will be combat-ready and deployed before 2026 ends, marking a major leap in Moscow’s nuclear weapons program.

Putin Gets the Green Light After Sarmat Test Launch

Russia’s most powerful nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile the RS-28 Sarmat is now on track for full deployment before the year is out. This came after a successful test launch on Tuesday morning, which Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces chief personally reported to President Vladimir Putin.

Colonel General Sergei Karakayev confirmed the missile lifted off at 11:15 a.m. Moscow time. He told Putin all mission objectives were met without issue clearing the final hurdle for active deployment.

Sarmat Regiment to Be Based in Krasnoyarsk Region

“The launch was successful, and the mission objectives were achieved,” Karakayev told Putin, adding that the test clears the way for Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces to station the first Sarmat-armed regiment at its Uzhur unit in the Krasnoyarsk region by the end of 2026.

Putin himself then sealed the announcement with a firm confirmation “The Sarmat will indeed be placed on combat duty at the end of the current year.”

Putin’s Bold Claims About Sarmat’s Destructive Power

During the post-launch briefing, Putin made sweeping claims about the missile’s capabilities. He boasted that the Sarmat’s total payload yield is “four times that of any existing equivalent.” He also claimed the missile can travel more than 35,000 kilometers roughly 21,748 miles using both ballistic and suborbital flight paths.

Putin first unveiled the Sarmat back in 2018 touting its near-unlimited range and ability to bypass even the most advanced missile defense systems. Yet last October, he admitted the missile had still not entered active service, walking back years of confident public claims.

‘Satan 2’ The West’s Name for Russia’s Deadliest Missile

Western defense analysts have long dubbed the Sarmat “Satan 2.” The missile is engineered to carry multiple nuclear warheads simultaneously making it a cornerstone of Russia’s next-generation strategic arsenal. Its deployment would represent one of Russia’s most significant military advancements in years.

Corruption Scandal Shadows the Sarmat Program

The deployment announcement arrives against an awkward backdrop. Just a week earlier, the chief executive of the factory that manufactures the Sarmat missile was reportedly detained by authorities on corruption charges raising uncomfortable questions about the integrity of Russia’s premier weapons program at its most critical moment.