Putin: We will soon demonstrate Sarmat missiles on combat duty
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to demonstrate Sarmat heavy intercontinental missiles (ICBMs) on combat duty in the near future. He stated this on February 29 during a message to the Federal Assembly.
"The first serial Sarmat heavy ballistic missiles have also been delivered to the troops. We will soon demonstrate them in the areas of deployment on combat duty," he said.
Putin stressed that the strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation are "in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use." The Russian leader also pointed out that the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have increased many times during the special operation in Ukraine.
"What we planned in the field of armaments, which I spoke about in the 2018 message, has been done or this work is being completed," Putin said.
In addition, the president pointed to the Kinzhal hypersonic aviation missile system, which is actively used in the special operation zone to defeat targets of particular importance. Putin added that the Zircon naval strike complex had already been used in combat.
"Avangard intercontinental range hypersonic units and Peresvet laser systems are on combat duty. Tests of the Burevestnik cruise missile of unlimited range and the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle are being completed," he noted.
In addition, according to Putin, Russia is working on "a number of other promising weapons systems." He stressed that there are problems in the Russian army, but at the same time there is an understanding of how to solve them.
Earlier, on February 26, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said that putting Sarmat missile systems on combat duty is the main task of equipping the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation this year. According to him, an important task of the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2024 is also the transfer of the Prince Pozharsky nuclear submarine to the Russian Navy (Navy).
Prior to that, on December 19, Putin noted that the role of the Russian nuclear triad, which provides a strategic balance of power in the world, has grown significantly in the current conditions. At the same time, according to him, in 2023, the level of modern technology in the strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation reached 95%, and the marine component — almost 100%.
Earlier, in October, Putin announced the completion of work on the Sarmat missile system. The Head of State noted that it remains only to complete administrative and bureaucratic procedures, and then proceed to mass production of weapons and putting them on combat duty. He also announced the latest successful test of a global-range cruise missile with a nuclear propulsion system "Burevestnik".
RK Sarmat was first launched on April 20, 2022 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region. Then Putin drew attention to the lack of analogues of Sarmat.
Sarmat is a complex with an intercontinental ballistic missile. Due to its characteristics, it is able to overcome all modern means of missile defense and is considered to be the weapon with the largest target range in the world.