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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Michelle Cullen

Vladimir Putin to test terrifying 16,000mph missile that could hit Ireland in 6 minutes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has wanted that he is set to test a missile that can travel at a terrifying 16,000mph.

The missile, if fired, could reach Ireland in just six minutes.

Behemoth horror missile Satan-2 is expected to be tested in the coming month, with a proposed launch for the intercontinental ballistic missile listed for sometime before the end of December.

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The announcement comes in the face of potential delays to using the "unstoppable" hypersonic missile, known by those in Vladimir Putin's Moscow as Sarmat.

Worries over the disclosure that Russia "may" launch another test mean the Satan-2 missile could be fully deployed next year, reports the Daily Star.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference at the Rus Sanatorium , October,31,2022, in Sochi, Russia. Leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan gathered at Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi for a tripartite meeting. (gettyimages.ie)

A statement from Russia's defence ministry said: "The flight-design tests of the Sarmat [ICBM] may continue before the end of this year with a second test launch to be potentially carried out."

Tests for the Sarmat missile had been scheduled for June this year, with the Kamchatka region told to prepare itself for a launch, but it never happened.

Former head of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said at the time: "We are absolutely on schedule. We are now preparing for the second flight test of the Sarmat."

Rogozin was fired after his June 25 statement just a month later for unknown reasons.

Following the lack of launch, one defence expert and analyst believes the preparation of Russian Satan missiles for combat duty is "dubious".

Defence expert Leonid Nersisyan said: "In this context, the truth of the terms bandied about by Rogozin — that Sarmat is in [serial] production and is soon to be placed on 'combat duty' — appear dubious."

Early July saw Rogozin, at-the-time head of Roscosmos, visit the so-called "Doomsday Plant", where the process of piecing together the Satan-2 takes place.

He boasted at the time there would be "almost 50" Sarmats available for active use on the field of battle, but so far, only one test in April this year has been carried out.

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