Sarmat | Pakistan

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the test launch of the new strategic nuclear missile Sarmat, describing it as “the most powerful in the world”. State TV showed Sergei Karakayev, commander of Russia’s strategic missile forces, reporting to Putin on what he said was a successful Sarmat test-launch on Tuesday. Putin said Russia will deploy Sarmat for “combat duty” by the end of this year. The planned deployment of the missile — designed to deliver nuclear warheads to strike targets thousands of miles away in the United States or Europe — follows years of setbacks and delays. Putin, in televised comments, said the yield of the warhead was more than four times greater than any Western equivalent and its range exceeded 35,000 kilometres (21,750 miles). “It has the ability to penetrate all existing and future anti-missile defence systems,” he said. “The deployment of launchers equipped with the Sarmat missile system will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the ground-based strategic nucle...