New Video Shows Launch of Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat Nuclear Missile

Russian television channel Zvezda has published new footage showing the test launch of the RS-28 Sarmat, Russia's newest heavy intercontinental ballistic missile and one of the most powerful strategic weapons in the country's nuclear arsenal.

The release came shortly after Commander of the Strategic Missile Forces Sergey Karakayev informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that the latest test of the missile system had been completed successfully.

During the briefing, Karakayev reported that the first regiment equipped with the new Sarmat missile system would enter combat duty before the end of the year. He stressed that the missile would replace the aging R-36M2 Voevoda system, known in NATO classification as "Satan.”

Russian military officials say the Sarmat missile can reliably penetrate all existing and future missile defense systems due to its speed, maneuverability, and unconventional flight paths.

A New Generation of Strategic Missile

The RS-28 Sarmat represents the latest stage in Russia's strategic nuclear modernization program. Developed by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, the missile belongs to the class of heavy liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles and is designed to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads.

Russian officials describe the system as significantly more advanced than its Soviet-era predecessor. The missile reportedly uses advanced countermeasures, decoys, and maneuvering technologies intended to complicate interception attempts by missile defense systems.

According to Russian military estimates, the missile can carry both traditional nuclear warheads and hypersonic Avangard glide vehicles capable of maneuvering at extreme speeds in the atmosphere.

Putin Claims Range Exceeds 35,000 Kilometers

Putin stated that the operational range of the Sarmat missile could exceed 35,000 kilometers if launched along a suborbital trajectory rather than a standard ballistic path.

The Russian president said the missile could travel both along ballistic and suborbital trajectories, dramatically extending its range while simultaneously doubling targeting precision and ensuring penetration of any current or future missile defense shield.

The Kremlin has repeatedly described the Sarmat system as a cornerstone of Russia's strategic deterrence doctrine amid rising tensions between Moscow and NATO.

Designed to Strike Along Unpredictable Routes

Unlike many older intercontinental ballistic missiles that follow predictable trajectories over the North Pole, the Sarmat can reportedly approach targets from multiple directions, including over the South Pole. Russian military analysts argue that this flexibility makes the missile especially difficult to track and intercept.

The missile's enormous payload capacity also allows it to deploy a combination of warheads, decoys, and electronic countermeasures during flight.

Western defense analysts have frequently described the Sarmat as one of the most formidable strategic weapons currently under development. In 2025, The National Interest called the missile arguably the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile in the world.

Part of Russia's Expanding Nuclear Modernization

The Sarmat program forms part of a broader Russian effort to modernize its strategic nuclear forces, alongside the deployment of hypersonic weapons, underwater nuclear drones, and next-generation air defense systems.

Russian officials insist the buildup is intended to preserve strategic balance with the United States and NATO, while critics in the West warn that the deployment of increasingly sophisticated nuclear delivery systems risks accelerating a new arms race.

The newly released footage of the missile test is expected to further intensify international debate over strategic stability and the future of global nuclear deterrence.