Russia's "Satan II" Sarmat Missile: A "Doomsday Weapon" That Explodes on Launch

Sarmat Missile: Design and Ambitions

• 🚀 The RS-28 Sarmat, codenamed "Satan II," is Russia's new nuclear-capable missile, designed to be a "doomsday weapon" capable of hitting nearly any target on Earth.
• 💡 On paper, the Sarmat is envisioned as a hypersonic missile weighing over 200 tons, capable of carrying multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), with a range of 10,000 to 18,000 kilometers.
• 🎯 It is intended to replace aging R-36M missiles, which are past their service life and whose maintenance was previously reliant on Ukraine.

Repeated Test Failures and Embarrassments

• 💥 A recent test launch from the Yasny test site resulted in the missile exploding seconds after takeoff, creating a cloud of purple smoke and causing significant embarrassment for Putin.
• ⚠️ This failure is not an isolated incident; the Sarmat program has a history of setbacks, including a previous incident where a missile destroyed its test silo at Plesetsk.
• 📉 The missile's repeated failures suggest significant flaws in Russia's missile program and design capabilities, casting doubt on its reliability and deployment timeline.

Toxic Fuel and Legacy Technology

• 🧪 The purple smoke observed during the recent failure is characteristic of toxic fuels like nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (heptyl), indicating reliance on outdated Soviet-era technology.
• ⚛️ This reliance on legacy propellants, rather than newer technologies, is attributed to Russia's loss of technical expertise, particularly after losing maintenance support from Ukraine.
• ☣️ The use of heptyl poses environmental risks, as demonstrated by a previous Proton missile failure in Kazakhstan that required a costly clean-up effort.

Strategic Implications and Doubts

• ⏳ The Sarmat project is significantly behind schedule, with initial prototypes expected years ago and deployment dates repeatedly pushed back.
• ❓ Despite claims of successful tests, evidence points to a pattern of failures, with only one partially successful launch and several catastrophic ones.
• 📉 The ongoing issues with the Sarmat undermine Russia's nuclear deterrence strategy, as other nuclear-capable nations are unlikely to fear a missile that poses a greater risk to its own country.
• 🧩 The program's continuation may be driven by a need to maintain competition among Russian missile developers rather than genuine strategic readiness.