ENEMIES, THINK TWICE: Putin test-fires Satan 2 nuke and issues threat

Russia has successfully test-fired its ‘Satan’ nuclear missile, Vladimir Putin has claimed as he issued a chilling threat to the West.

The Russian president said early on Thursday morning that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile - nicknamed Satan 2 - would make Moscow’s enemies “think twice”.

“I congratulate you on the successful launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile,” Putin told the army in televised remarks.

“This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice.”
 

Satan 2 can fly 10,000km and is so powerful it can destroy an area the size of France.

It can carry a dozen nuclear warheads and is believed to be the most powerful weapon ever created.

The Sarmat superheavy intercontinental ballistic missile is designed to elude anti-missile defence systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.

Weighing more than 200 tonnes and able to transport multiple warheads, Putin says the missile can hit any target on Earth. He previously dubbed the missile "invincible”.

Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement the test “successfully” took place at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia.

A video shows a massive fireball as the missile is launched into the sky.
 

According to the ministry, the missile delivered training warheads to the Kura test range of the Kamchatka peninsula, in Russia’s Far East.

“Sarmat is the most powerful missile with the longest range of destruction of targets in the world, which will significantly increase the combat power of our country’s strategic nuclear forces,” the ministry said.

Dmitry Rogozin, the director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, tweeted that the test launch of Satan 2 was a “present to NATO and all sponsors of Ukronazism”.

Last month, Russia said it used another missile - Kinzhal - for the first time in warfare to strike a target in Ukraine.