Russia said on Saturday it plans to deploy its newly tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of mounting nuclear strikes against the United States, by autumn.
The target stated by Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, is an ambitious one as Russia reported its first test launch on Wednesday and Western military experts say more will be needed before the missile can be deployed.
The Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys, and of striking targets thousands of miles away in the U.S. or Europe.
This week's test, after years of delays due to funding and technical issues, marks a show of strength by Russia at a time when the war in Ukraine has sent tensions with the U.S. and its allies soaring to their highest levels since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
Rogozin said in an interview with Russian state TV that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) east of Moscow.
He said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, something that would save "colossal resources and time."
The launch of the "super-weapon" was a historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia's children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years, Rogozin added.
The Sarmat – dubbed Satan 2 by Western analysts – is among Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has called "invincible," including the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles.
Last month, Russia said it used Kinzhal for the first time in warfare to strike a target in Ukraine.
The Sarmat superheavy intercontinental ballistic missile is designed to elude anti-missile defense systems with a short initial boost phase, giving enemy surveillance systems a tiny window to track.
It has been under development for years, so its test launch is not a surprise for the West, but it comes at a moment of extreme geopolitical tension due to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Western concern at the risk of nuclear war has increased since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 with a speech in which he pointedly referred to Moscow's nuclear forces and warned that any attempt to get in Russia's way "will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history."
"The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month.
