After “New Start” suspension: Putin wants to upgrade to nuclear power

Nfter the suspension of New Start, the last remaining arms limitation and control agreement with the United States, Vladimir Putin announced that of Russia to strengthen the nuclear triad. In his greeting to Defender of the Fatherland Day, which Russia celebrated on Thursday, the President said the first Sarmat launchers would go into service this year.

Five years ago, in his State of the Union address at the time, Putin presented the new version of the land-based ICBM, which could transport a “wide range of highly effective nuclear munitions”, with a video animation in which “Sarmats” race towards Florida.

Of course, the animation had already been shown on state television in 2007 and referred to the previous model from the Soviet era. It was made in Ukraine and called “Voyevoda” (army commander); NATO speaks of “Satan” and now of “Sarmat” as “Satan 2”.

Russia announced US missile test

The transmitter CNN reported on Wednesday, citing US officials, that Russia was testing a “Sarmat” missile around the time of President Joe Biden’s visit to Kiev on Monday. Moscow has announced to Washington the test in accordance with the information requirements under “New Start”, which were only suspended after Putin’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. But apparently he failed. Otherwise, according to CNN sources, Putin would have mentioned the test in his Tuesday speech. However, “Sarmat” had previously been successfully tested. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called for people not to believe this report and CNN reports in general.

In his greeting, Putin said that the “serial production” of the airborne supersonic missile “Kinshal” (Dagger) will be continued and the “mass delivery” of the sea-based supersonic missiles “Zirkon” will begin. In his speech on Tuesday, Putin said that 91.3 percent of Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces were equipped with “the latest systems”.

Now Putin said that the proportion of modern armaments technology in the sea-based nuclear forces will reach 100 percent with the commissioning of the nuclear submarine Emperor Alexandr III. Three more such submarines were to follow in the coming years. With a view to “the front” in the Ukraine war, Putin praised the “unity” of the Russians, which was “the pledge of our victory”.