Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat ballistic missile failed during a test

A recent assessment by arms experts, supported by satellite imagery, suggests that a Russian RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile may have experienced a failure during a test earlier this month. Maxar satellite images taken on September 21 reveal a crater approximately 60 meters (200 feet) wide at the launch silo located at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, along with damage in the vicinity that was not present in earlier images from the same month.

The satellite imagery does not clarify whether the liquid-fueled Sarmat encountered issues during the launch or if an accident occurred during the defueling process. Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based analyst who oversees the Russian Nuclear Forces project, commented, “All signs point to a failed test. There is a significant hole in the ground. A serious incident occurred with the missile and the silo.”

The Russian defense ministry has not responded to inquiries regarding this incident and has not issued any statements about upcoming Sarmat tests in recent days.

The RS-28 Sarmat, referred to as Satan II, measures 35 meters in length and boasts an impressive range of 18,000 kilometers (11,000 miles). With a launch weight exceeding 208 tonnes, it is capable of carrying up to 16 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle nuclear warheads, along with several Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles, as reported by Russian media.