Tue Sep 24 02:48:28 UTC 2024: ## Russia Suffers Major Setback in Sarmat Missile Test, Satellite Images Reveal
**Moscow, Russia:** A recent satellite image analysis has revealed a catastrophic failure during a test of Russia’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a key component of the country’s modernized nuclear arsenal. Images captured by Maxar Technologies on September 21st show a 60-meter-wide crater at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, along with extensive damage not visible in previous images.
Experts believe the damage suggests a failure shortly after ignition, with a possible cause being a malfunction in the first stage booster. This incident marks the fourth consecutive test failure for the Sarmat program, raising serious concerns about its viability.
“By all indications, it was a failed test. It’s a big hole in the ground,” stated Pavel Podvig, an analyst based in Geneva. “There was a serious incident with the missile and the silo.”
While the Kremlin has referred questions to the Ministry of Defence, the ministry has remained silent on the incident.
The US and its allies are closely watching Russia’s nuclear arsenal development amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Sarmat, known as Satan II in the West, is designed to carry up to 16 nuclear warheads and boasts a range of 18,000 km.
The delays caused by the test failures will likely push back the Sarmat’s deployment even further, forcing Russia to keep aging Soviet-era missiles in service longer than planned. However, despite the setbacks, experts believe that Moscow will likely persist with the Sarmat program, emphasizing the importance of competition within its defense industry.
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