Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today, Wednesday, that the new generation of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of carrying ten or more nuclear warheads and ready for combat missions, will soon be deployed. In a speech to new graduates of military academies, Putin emphasized the importance of the "trinity" of Russian nuclear forces that can be launched from land, sea, or air. He stated, "The most important task here is the development of the nuclear trinity, which is an important guarantee of Russia's military security and global stability."
He added, "About half of the units and formations of the strategic missile forces are already equipped with the latest Yars missile systems, and the forces are being re-equipped with modern missile systems with Avangard hypersonic warheads." He mentioned that the first Sarmat launchers will enter service "in the near future."
Putin, in statements broadcast by state television, noted that Moscow has observed a "calm" in the counteroffensive launched by Ukraine, and that Kyiv has suffered heavy losses in attacks in the south. He said, "It is strange that we are noticing calm at the moment. This is due to the fact that the enemy is suffering severe losses in personnel and equipment," noting that the capability of the Ukrainian counteroffensive "has not been exhausted yet."
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the new graduates that "the West as a whole" is waging "a real war" against Russia. Putin has repeatedly stated since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine that Russia is prepared to use all means, including nuclear weapons, to defend its "territorial integrity." Last year, he mentioned that the territories occupied by Russian forces in Ukraine were placed under the Russian nuclear umbrella, and Russia claims that they have become part of its territory.
