Overview
- The Sarmat ICBM, which Russia said flew successfully Tuesday, drew a pledge from Vladimir Putin to place units on combat duty by the end of the year.
- Officials claim the liquid-fueled missile can exceed 35,000 kilometers in range, use a suborbital path, maneuver at hypersonic speeds above Mach 17, and carry roughly a 10-ton payload.
- This was Russia’s first long-range ICBM launch since the New START treaty expired in February, with the Kremlin saying it notified the United States in advance of the test, a step customary under past arms pacts.
- Independent outlets report seven tests so far with five failures on the pad or shortly after liftoff, a record that keeps questions over reliability and timelines in play.
- Production faces new doubt after the director of prime contractor Krasmash was jailed on bribery and embezzlement claims, and analyst Pavel Podvig says even a 2025 rollout would not significantly change Russia’s nuclear balance.