Russia tests the Sarmat missile: new nuclear era?
This Tuesday, Russia launched a test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, one of the jewels of its atomic arsenal. President Vladimir Putin confirmed it: the system will be operational before the end of the year, as part of a military modernization that does not stop even with the war in Ukraine.
“The weapon has greater precision and a range of more than 35 thousand kilometers,” Putin said, highlighting its ability to avoid Western anti-missile systems.
What’s behind Sarmat?
This missile replaces the old Soviet Voyevoda. Its range is brutal: more than 35 thousand kilometers. Designed to carry nuclear warheads, it is Moscow’s new muscle. But it is not alone: the Avangard hypersonic vehicle, the Oreshnik missile, the Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile complete the puzzle.
Context that hurts
The test comes as Ukraine bleeds and tensions with the United States boil. Since 2022, the Kremlin has used nuclear talk as a warning: don’t mess with kyiv. Now, with arms control agreements expiring, specialists see the specter of a new global arms race.
What they don’t tell you
Here’s my two cents: this is not just a missile. It’s a message. Putin knows that the West is distracted by Gaza, by the US elections, by inflation. And meanwhile, Moscow plays its most dangerous card. Do you remember the Cold War? Well, this is similar, but with more screens and fewer iron curtains.
The question I ask myself as a mother: how do I explain this to my son without him losing hope? Perhaps with cold data: Sarmat is real, but it is also true that diplomacy has never completely died. Although, let’s be honest, each test like this takes us a little further from sanity.
