The Kremlin on Monday said it could not commenton reports of an explosion that allegedly happened during a test of Russias next-generation Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missileSatellite images from the Plesetsk test site in the northern Arkhangelsk region showed a large crater, which arms experts believe may be the result of a failed Sarmat test flight or a defueling incident following an aborted launch.We have no information on this matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, advising them to reach out to military officials.Russias space agency Roscosmos said last September that the Sarmat was operational and ready for combat duty after it was first unveiled by President Vladimir Putin in 2018.Nicknamed Satan 2 by Western analysts, the RS-28 Sarmat weighs more than 200 metric tons and can carry multiple nuclear warheads.
The missile is designed to evade defense systems by having a short initial boost phase, limiting the time available for surveillance to track it.Since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has made veiled nuclear threats to Kyivs Western allies, describing the Sarmat and other advanced missiles like the Kinzhal and Avangard as invincible.