Desparate Putin Tests Hypersonic 'Satan-2' Rocket
Things are not going well for Vladimir Putin at the moment. His invasion of Ukraine is failing in an embarrassing spectacle and, if he survives this mess, he’ll have a number of war crimes to testify about at The Hague.
And while he may put on a brave face for the cameras, Putin’s actions tell us quite a bit about just how nerve-wracking things are for him at the moment.
For instance, this latest military flex meant to keep the west at bay.
In a show of strength two months into its assault on Ukraine, Russia test-launched a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile which President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday would make Moscow’s enemies stop and think.
Putin was shown on TV being told by the military that the long-awaited Sarmat missile had been test-launched for the first time from Plesetsk in northwest Russia and hit targets in the Kamchatka peninsula, nearly 6,000 km (3,700 miles) away.
The test of the Sarmat, under development for years, did not surprise the West, but came at a moment of extreme geopolitical tension. Russia has yet to capture any major cities since it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
The missile, which has been nicknamed “Satan-2” by some in the western media, may be able to achieve speeds of nearly 3,500 miles per hours, potentially evading even the most significant defense systems in the world.
