What is Satan II, the ‘world’s deadliest’ nuclear-capable weapon being tested in Russia?

Satellite images taken at the end of September have led arms experts to believe that Russia has attempted to test its latest intercontinental ballistic missile, the RS-28 Sarmat, but suffered a catastrophic failure.

The 35-metre-long missile – which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads – has been referred to in past reporting by various media outlets in and outside of Russia as “Satan II” and “the world’s deadliest weapon,” and is heightening concerns due to its supposed destructive capabilities.

The recent images appear to contain a large crater on a launch site in Plesetsk in northern Russia. The discovery was first posted on social media platform X on September 21 by an open source analyst under the pseudonym “MeNMyRC”.

“As is readily apparent, the RS-28 Sarmat test was a complete failure,” MeNMyRC wrote.

“The missile detonated in the silo leaving a massive crater and destroying the test site”.

MeNMyRC also speculated that the missile may have exploded during the liquid fueling process and not as it launched.

This could explain the perceived absence of planes meant to supervise test launches. If experts are correct, this would mark the fourth known failure of the RS-28. The weapon’s only confirmed successful test attempt was in April 2022.

‘Political significant for Putin’

Matt Korda, an associate senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), told Euronews Next that the RS-28 is meant to functionally replace the RS-20V Voevoda, a missile created over 30 years ago. 

“Russia has long planned to replace every single one of its Cold War-era delivery systems with newer versions, and the RS-20V Voevoda is the last of these types of ICBMs left in its arsenal,” Korda said .

“As a result, the introduction of the Sarmat will be politically significant for President Putin, as the embodiment of Russia’s completion of this long-awaited transition”.

The RS-28 was first revealed in 2014 at a press conference in Moscow. 

At the time, Russian officials said the missile would be completed by 2020. Production was then delayed several times due to manufacturing, production, and testing issues.

Korda said that as of now, the RS-28 still has not entered service. 

“Not only has serial production of the missile been delayed, but its testing cycle has been marred by a series of postponed and failed tests,” Korda explained.

What is the RS-28 capable of?

Since its unveiling, Russian media has reported that the RS-28 can carry up to 16 independently targetable nuclear warheads. However, Korda said that this number is likely much smaller at “perhaps up to 10 warheads”.

The missile also has a range of at least 18,000 km and weighs over 208 tons, according to the Russian military.

In October 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the RS-28 was ready for deployment in a speech translated by the Kremlin. “By and large, Sarmat, the super heavy missile, is also ready,” Putin said.

“All we have left is to complete all the administrative and bureaucratic procedures and paperwork so that we can move to mass production and deploy it in combat standby mode. We will do this soon”.

In the same speech, Putin highlighted one purpose of the RS-28, which is to discourage nuclear and military escalation from the United States.

He specifically made a point of noting that Russia signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, while the United States has only signed it. 

The proposed treaty would ban all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes. In order to go into effect, it must be ratified before the UN secretary-general by 44 designated “nuclear-capable states”.

In November 2023, Putin withdrew Russia’s ratification with the expressed purpose of mirroring the position of the US. With several nuclear-capable countries still refusing to sign or ratify the treaty, weapons testing has continued worldwide. 

According to Korda, producing new missiles like the Saramat RS-28 is just part of a process of modernization that “all nuclear-armed states go through”.

It’s unclear what the weapon’s status really is after its fourth suspected test failure. Putin and Russian media have said the RS-28 has been combat ready for years, but September’s crater images cast doubt on these claims for many experts. 

Korta said that, despite any testing challenges, Russia will continue work on the RS-28. 

“It is clear that Russia is proceeding with construction to facilitate the missile’s deployment – satellite imagery indicates that major construction is well underway at the first regiment of the 62nd Missile Division in south Siberia, and will soon begin at other expected deployment sites,” Korta explained.