- Russia test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat, as part of its ongoing efforts to modernise the country's nuclear forces.
- President Vladimir Putin hailed the Sarmat, known as 'Satan II' in the West, as the “most powerful missile in the world” and announced it would enter combat service by the end of the year.
- The Sarmat is designed to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles and is claimed to possess a range of over 35,000 kilometres and enhanced capabilities to penetrate missile defences.
- Putin has frequently employed nuclear rhetoric since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, aiming to deter Western support for Ukraine and maintain strategic balance.
- The missile test is part of Russia's broader modernisation of its nuclear triad, which also includes other advanced weapons such as the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle and the Poseidon underwater drone.
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