By maintaining a robust and modern ICBM force, Russia aims to deter potential aggressors and preserve strategic parity with the United States.
Russia’s nuclear weapons arsenal is not only the largest in the world, but thanks to the limitations imposed on the United States by the 2010 New START treaty, it is also the most advanced. If one were to ask Google, “What is the best missile in the world?”, the artificial intelligence Gemini would immediately generate the answer of “RS-28 Sarmat.”
This is not just a quirk of a search engine. It is a shared assessment among some of the top missile experts in the world that the Russians have built themselves a truly advanced—and frightening—nuclear weapon.
In fact, Moscow has given this newer nuclear missile a name that is meant to evoke fear among their enemies. Though the missile is called the “Sarmat” for the Sarmatians, a historic confederation of Eurasian steppe warriors, it is colloquially referred to as the “Satan” missile. That’s an apt title, given the incredible destructive power it wields.
First announced in 2018 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the RS-28 Sarmat has garnered international attention due to its advanced capabilities, its massive payload capacity, and its essential role in Russia’s overarching nuclear strategy.
The RS-28 Sarmat is a liquid-fueled, silo-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with an exceptional range of around 11,185 miles—allowing it to strike targets virtually anywhere on Earth. This extended reach, combined with its ability to take unconventional flight paths—such as over the South Pole—makes it difficult for missile defense systems to track and intercept before it can deliver its lethal payload.
When reviewing its specifications, one cannot help but to marvel at the Sarmat system’s payload capacity. One missile can carry up to ten tons of warheads, significantly more than most contemporary ICBMs. This allows the missile to deploy a variety of configurations, including up to 15 independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs)—each equipped with a nuclear warhead, or even a small number of high-yield warheads exceeding 10 megatons.
