Vladimir Putin’s State of the Nation address touched upon the military capability of Russia, particularly its nuclear weapons.
During the televised address, the Russian President claimed, in a thinly veiled threat to the West: “Our strategic nuclear forces are fully ready for operational use. As I said in my address in 2018, everything has been done or the work has been completed.
“The hypersonic Kinzhal system has not only been adopted for use but has also been used effectively to strike especially important targets as part of the special military operation.
“Also, the hypersonic naval system Zircon, which I didn’t even mention in my 2018 address, has been already adopted and used.”
Another nuclear-capable system unveiled by Putin during a speech in March 2018 was the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, dubbed Satan II.
He said: “If the United States threatens our state, it’s good: here is the Sarmat for you, and there will be nuclear ashes from you if you think that Russia should not exist. We can hit with a Sarmat from Siberia, and even reach the UK. And if we strike from Kaliningrad… the hypersonic’s reaching time is 200 seconds – so go ahead, guys.”
The Satan II is meant to be the successor to the original Satan system, also known as the R-36 or Voevada, dating back from the Soviet era.
The new RS-28 Sarmat can carry multiple warheads and cover between 6,200 and 11,180 miles, according to data from the US Center for Strategic and International Studies.
While the Satan-II seems to have what is needed to be a formidable weapon of destruction, experts have previously said it is unlikely to make any change in the world balance when it comes to the already existing nuclear threat to the world.
Julian Lewis, Chair of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, last year said: “Russia and the Western nuclear states have had the ability to annihilate each other ever since they acquired strategic nuclear bombers, followed by intercontinental ballistic missiles, over 60 years ago.”
He added: “Putin adding this new missile to his pre-existing ‘overkill’ capability makes absolutely no difference to the effectiveness of our Trident nuclear deterrent submarines.”
