Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, codenamed Satan II by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is believed to have failed during a test conducted by the Russian military this month. This is claimed by the Reuters agency, which refers to satellite images of the launchers and the opinions of weapons experts, writes TASR.
Images taken by satellites of the American company Maxar Technologies show a 60-meter-wide crater on the launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, as well as damage in its surroundings.
“According to all indications, it was a failed test,” said Geneva-based nuclear weapons expert Pavel Podvig. It was not clear from the footage whether the Sarmat failed during take-off or the accident occurred during a fuel dump.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the situation and has not issued any statements regarding the testing of Sarmat missiles in the past period, Reuters reminds.
According to Russian media, the 35-meter RS-28 Sarmat missile has a range of 18,000 km, weighs over 208 tons and can carry up to 16 nuclear warheads, as well as several Avangard hypersonic gliders.
The first successful missile test was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in April. Russian officials said at the time that they would create the first unit armed with Sarmat missiles by the fall of this year.
Source: spravy.pravda.sk
