Satan No So Satan
Russia’s latest test of its Sarmat ballistic missile, known as "Satan II" in the West, ended in another catastrophic failure, showing once again that the country’s high-stakes nuclear rhetoric is falling short of its capabilities. Satellite images captured on September 21 by Maxar revealed a massive 60-meter-wide crater at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome launch site, highlighting a significant failure at the test site that should reassure the West rather than alarm it.
The Sarmat missile, touted by Vladimir Putin as one of the most advanced weapons in the world, is designed to strike targets in the U.S. or Europe with multiple nuclear warheads. However, repeated delays and now a string of test failures have exposed the vulnerability of Russia’s nuclear modernization efforts. Despite all the bluster, this is the fourth successive failure, and analysts, like Timothy Wright from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), point out that these setbacks are pushing the missile’s deployment further into an uncertain future.
For the U.S., this is a time to stay focused and put the petal to the metal and crush a world bully, once and for all.
Russia’s failed missile program and its faltering military performance in Ukraine reveal a nation struggling to maintain its relevance and influence. The U.S. and its allies should double down on efforts to support Ukraine, pushing back against Russia’s neighborhood bullying. As Putin tries to rattle the nuclear saber, his hardware simply isn’t keeping pace.
The latest failure shows that the Kremlin’s nuclear modernization is more talk than reality. Their aging Soviet-era SS-18 missiles, which the Sarmat was meant to replace, will have to stay in service longer than planned—yet another sign of weakness. With continued support to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine, the U.S. can ensure that the last vestiges of Russia’s bullying fade into irrelevance.
The message is clear: the U.S. has nothing to fear, and now is the time to press forward and finish the job.