How deadly is Russia's nuclear -capable 'Satan 2' Sarmat missile? All you need to know

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday (April 20) that Russia has successfully tested the intercontinental ballistic missile.

He said the weapon capable of carrying nuclear charges will make Kremlin's enemies "think twice."

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About Sarmat missile 

The Sarmat superheavy intercontinental ballistic missile is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.

Weighing more than 200 tonnes and able to transport multiple warheads, Putin says the missile can hit any target on Earth. 

It's been under development since 2009 and various tests had been done since 2016. It has been understood that it is intended to replace the R-36M ICBM (SS-18 'Satan') in Russia's arsenal.

Earlier, this year, some media reports claimed that Russia unveiled a nuclear weapon called "Satan 2" amid the invasion of Ukraine, which appears to be untrue as per a factcheck by Lead Stories. 

Putin's warning: 'Think twice' 

Speaking on Russian television, Putin as quoted by news agency AFP told the army: "I congratulate you on the successful launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile." 

"This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice," he added. 

West calls it 'Satan 2' 

Western analysts have dubbed the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as 'Satan 2'.

It is among Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has called "invincible," and which also include the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles. 

Russian defence ministry statement 

Russia's defence ministry said in a statement the most recent test "successfully" took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia. According to the ministry, the missile delivered training warheads to the Kura test range of the Kamchatka peninsula, in Russia's Far East. 

"Sarmat is the most powerful missile with the longest range of destruction of targets in the world, which will significantly increase the combat power of our country's strategic nuclear forces," the ministry said. 

Tass quoted Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, as saying that Russia's nuclear forces will start taking delivery of the new missile "in the autumn of this year" once testing is complete. 

Sarmat can fly 16,000mph' 

It weighs more than 200 tonnes. Russia has claimed that Sarmat can reach an unmatched 16,000mph and can deploy 10 or more warheads on each missile. The long-range missile has been in development since the 2000s. 

With Sarmat, Russia has the option of firing it over either of the Earth's poles. It is deemed a major challenge to the ground and satellite-based radar and tracking systems.