Russia conducts test ofnew long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads

Russia on Tuesday conducted a test launch of a new long‑range missile that can carry nuclear warheads, occurring months after the last major arms‑control treaty between Moscow and the United States expired.

The February lapse of the New START treaty formally lifted several limits on the strategic nuclear capabilities of the world’s two largest nuclear powers.

After reviewing a report on the test, President Vladimir Putin described the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as the most powerful missile system currently in service.

“This is the most powerful missile system in the world,” Putin said after the reported successful launch.

According to the Russian president, the missile can deliver a nuclear payload that is markedly larger than those held by Western military forces.

He added that the Sarmat system is expected to be placed on combat duty before the end of the year.

Although Moscow and Washington agreed to restart high‑level military talks shortly after the New START agreement expired, no concrete steps have been announced to renew or replace the treaty.

Donald Trump has repeatedly called for a broader nuclear pact that would also involve China, whose nuclear stockpile is growing, though it remains smaller than those of Russia and the United States.

Beijing, however, has publicly opposed joining such an arrangement.

Trump largely stayed silent on Russia’s earlier requests to extend the New START treaty, which was signed in 2010 as the latest in a series of nuclear arms accords dating back to the Cold War.

Over time, both Moscow and Washington have accused each other of breaching parts of the agreement.

The Sarmat missile, known to NATO as “Satan II,” is considered the first “super‑heavy” intercontinental ballistic missile developed by post‑Soviet Russia.

Putin said the missile’s range is roughly 35,000 kilometres, or about 22,000 miles.