Russia Returns to Nuclear Saber Rattling with Sarmat Missile: In the same week that Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that he believes the war in Ukraine will end with some form of negotiation, like “all armed conflicts” do, the Russian president also confirmed that his military is preparing the world’s “most powerful” nuclear warhead.
Speaking on Wednesday to the Russian Defense Military Board, Putin confirmed that the RS-28 Sarmat “Satan II” intercontinental ballistic missile is being prepared for “combat duty for the first time.”
While the Russian leader did not confirm when he expects the missile to be fully ready, he did reveal that the weapons were being prepared as a countermeasure to what he perceives as NATO aggression.
“We are well aware of all the NATO forces and resources that they have been using against us over the course of the special military operation,” Putin said, adding that Russia is now preparing to ensure its nuclear weapons are combat-ready as part of his military’s effort to guarantee a victory in Ukraine.
“It is the main guarantee that our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity and the general balance of forces in the world are preserved,” Putin said.
Putin’s comments come less than a week after he sought the advice of his top military commanders, asking during a visit to the Joint Task Force headquarters about what can be done to ensure a Russian victory in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, the Russian president said that his military is learning from mistakes made in Ukraine, and insisted that the Kremlin will give his military “everything it asks for.”
“We have no funding restrictions. The country and the government are providing everything that the army asks for,” Putin said.
While the Satan II missile has been in development for some years, and the Kremlin has previously published propaganda videos designed to display the power of the missile, this week’s announcement could be interpreted as a pivot in Russia’s strategy in Ukraine.
In November, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement suggesting that a nuclear conflict must not be fought.
“We are strongly convinced that in the current complicated and turbulent situation, caused by irresponsible and impudent actions aimed at undermining our national security, the most immediate task is to avoid any military clash of nuclear powers,” a statement on the Foreign Ministry website reads.
This week’s announcement and Putin’s comments, however, could indicate a return to the nuclear saber-rattling that came months into the war in Ukraine.
It’s not the only indication, either. A propaganda arm of the Russian Ministry of Defense released a pop song this month titled “Son Of Satan,” which brags about the power of the Sarmat “Satan II” missile.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor.
Dr. Scooter Van Neuter
December 23, 2022 at 11:27 am
Brandishing a weapon that can bring down civilizations is the act of a demented lunatic. Putin will destroy the world if not stopped.
Infantry Grunt
December 23, 2022 at 11:41 am
Such an egotistical waste of time and money. Even Czar Peter The Great 2.0 has no desire to rule over a nuclear wasteland from inside a bunker.
Putin is desperately hoping that his namesake missile works better than his one aircraft carrier…
Bensonhurst
December 24, 2022 at 6:05 am
Militarists from white house and their mindless brainwashed flock only understand the language of war, but it will be too late, when such idiots and they families will burn in nuclear flame.
Friend
December 24, 2022 at 7:54 am
That’s some fine Christmas spirit journalism. I guess the same goes for the actions of the train operators. Whenever there’s a feel good story, the press will force the issue of what’s next to worry about. It’s a pattern, and Russiar actually employs it too.
Since it’s too poor and too weak to defend itself, it requires a quick magic fix to even the odds in the form of nukes. So to speak, when it’s losing by the score of five to nil, it will burn down the stadium for a nil-nil draw. Like a turd that won’t flush, it’s constantly looking for ways to remain afloat and stay in the conversation. That just means that it hasn’t been trashed enough, not that Russiar is no longer a turd. It’s already nuking you by the essence of it being there, so nuking on top of nuking would bring no further gains.
Russiar can’t pay its army. Their internal capital generation is so low that money only exist on paper (see what I did there). The billions they used to rake in are all but worthless.
Much like the Russiarns, all that any random dirt bag who wants to get on the news nowadays needs to say is “peace”. It’s just all a constant meaningless and empty news cycle.
Lifesavingflame
December 25, 2022 at 4:21 am
If NATO had not staged a military coup in Ukraine in 2014, there would be no conflict now.
The psycho is not the one who saber-rattling, but the one who teases the one who is armed to the teeth.
Michael Nunez
December 27, 2022 at 10:47 am
Is Ukraine worth a Nuclear War ? The answer is ” No ” . The truth is NATO has Double crossed Russia since the 90’s . Biden today is an very Old man that has lost any sense of mortality, mortality to ” Save People ” . Biden and Putin are One in the Same , both Murderers without any Shame .