LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) – Russia said Wednesday that it had launched its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, a new addition to its nuclear arsenal that President Vladimir Putin said would give Moscow’s enemies something to think about.
Putin was shown on television when the military said the rocket was fired from Plesetsk in the northwestern part of the country and hit targets on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East.
“The new complex has the highest tactical and technical characteristics and is able to overcome all modern means of missile defense. It has no analogues in the world and will not have much time,” Putin said.
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“This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, ensure Russia’s security against external threats and provide food for thought for those who are trying to threaten our country in the midst of fierce aggressive rhetoric.”
The Sarmatian is a new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile that Russia is expected to deploy with 10 or more warheads on each missile, according to the research service of the US Congress.
It has been under development for years, so its test release is not a surprise to the West, but it comes at a time of extreme geopolitical tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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Report by Mark Trevelyan; Edited by Howard Goller
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