Russia is ramping up its arsenal of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles and S-500 air defence systems as the war against Ukraine is in the sixth month. The Russian Defence Ministry signed a new contract with the manufacturers for the delivery of these weapons systems.
The Sarmat missile contract was signed by Deputy Defence Minister Alexei Krivoruchko and CEO of the Makeyev State Rocket Center Vladimir Degtyar at the Army 2022 international military-technical forum, the official TASS news agency reported.
The deal for the supply of the latest S-500 air defence system was signed by Krivoruchko and Almaz-Antey Deputy CEO Vitaly Neskorodov at the forum, the state news agency said.
Most Destructive Nuclear Weapon
Officially known in Russia as 'RS-28 Sarmat', Satan-2 is believed to be one of the most destructive nuclear weapons in the world and doesn't have a competition. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that Russia will continue to boost its military arsenal.
Putin had also said that the Satan II could reach the UK in just three minutes. Putin issued the threat while addressing graduates from Russia's military academies in June.
'Successful testing of the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile has been carried out. It is planned that the first such complex will be put on combat duty by the end of the year," he said during the meeting with military graduates.
The first Satan-2 test launch was revealed by Russia in April, and a month later, Dmitry Rogozin, the president of Roscosmos, the country's national space agency, declared that 50 of the new missiles would soon be in the arsenal of the country.
Kremlin Threat
With a range of between 6,200 and 11,800 miles and the ability to carry ten or more nuclear bombs and decoys, Satan-2, first introduced in 2018, would give the Kremlin the ability to strike targets anywhere on the planet.
The Kremlin threatened to use Satan-2 missiles to hit Finland, the UK, and the United States after Finnish President Sauli Niinisto indicated his nation's desire to join NATO in May. "If Finland wants to join this bloc, then our goal is absolutely legitimate â€" to question the existence of this state. This is logical," said Aleksey Zhuravlyov, deputy chairman of the Russian parliament's defense committeeâ€'.
"If the United States threatens our state, it's good: Here is the Sarmat [Satan-2 missile] for you, and there will be nuclear ashes from you if you think that Russia should not exist," he â€'added. "And Finland says that it is at one with the USA. Well, get in line."
