Putin warns enemies as Russia puts nuclear RS-28 Sarmat ICBM on combat duty amid war

Russia, on Friday, put an advanced next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile—RS-28 Sarmat—on combat duty as the geopolitical tensions between Moscow and the West escalated over the response to the latter's "special military operation" in Ukraine. This deployment will make Russia’s enemies “think twice” about their threats, Putin said in a stark warning, according to the statement made by the head of the Moscow Space Agency Roscosmos. 

Sarmat missiles have “assumed combat duty”, Yuri Borisov was quoted as saying by Russia's state-affiliated news agencies. 

Sarmat missile's strategic system has been placed on “combat alert posture," Roscosmos' head confirmed. Yuri, however, did not reveal the deployment date or the location of the missile during the official announcement. Nicknamed Satan II, Russia's Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) , known as the world's deadliest, is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads.

The first-ever launch of the Sarmat was carried out by Moscow on April 20 last year from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region. The missile reached its designated target in Kura training range on the Kamchatka Peninsula. At the time, Putin had warned that the nuclear capable missile will “give thought to those who are trying to threaten Russia.”

Russia deploys tactical nuclear weapons to neighbouring Belarus

Russia's President Putin had previously deployed tactical nuclear weapons to neighbouring Belarus for the first time as a reminder to the West against trying to inflict a "strategic defeat" on the Russian Federation. During a speech made at Russia's flagship economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin said that Russia's Defense Ministry had already delivered tactical nuclear warheads to Minks but added that there was no need for Moscow to resort to nukes.

Putin, however, threatened to resume the nuclear tests after he suspended the last remaining landmark New START nuclear arms control treaty with the United States. At the time, he warned the West saying that Russia had put the new strategic nuclear systems on combat duty. "The elites of the West do not hide their purpose. But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," Putin told the military elites. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken slammed Russia for unilaterally suspending the nuclear treaty, labelling Putin's move as "deeply unfortunate and irresponsible".