Putin announces development of nuclear triad, deployment of Sarmat intercontinental missiles

This is reported by the Russian media.

In his speech to the cadets, Putin emphasized the importance of Russia's 'triad' of nuclear forces, which can be launched from land, sea, or air.

“The most important task here is to develop the nuclear triad, which is a key guarantee of Russia's military security and global stability,” he said.

According to Putin, about half of the units and formations of the Strategic Missile Forces are already equipped with the latest Yars systems. The troops are also being rearmed with modern missile systems with a hypersonic warhead called Avangard.

“In the near future, the first launchers of the Sarmat complex with a new heavy missile will be put on combat duty,” Putin added.

For reference: The Sarmat is an intercontinental ballistic missile nicknamed Satan II in the West. It is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads. According to Russian estimates, the initial weight of the missile for hitting long-range targets is 150-200 tons, the range is 16,000 kilometers, and the payload is 5 tons.

• On April 21, 2022, at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, the Russians test-fired a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.

• During US President Joe Biden's visit to Kyiv on February 20, Russia test-fired a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, but the launch was unsuccessful.