The Russia successfully conducted a second test of its intercontinental ballistic missile on May 12, 2026 RS-28 Sarmatnicknamed “ Satan 2 » by NATO. This success follows multiple failures, including a silo explosion.
The weapon is designed to replace older Voevoda missiles and can strike any point on the globe, including via a south polar trajectory to bypass US defenses.
This event, confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, marks a decisive step for a program which has accumulated difficulties. Designed by the Design office Makeevthis liquid-powered behemoth is destined to become the backbone of Russia’s ground deterrent for decades to come.
What is the Sarmat missile, nicknamed “Satan 2”?
The RS-28 Sarmat is the new flagship of the nuclear triad Russian and takes the form of a intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) heavy. Unlike lighter missiles like the Yars, the Sarmat is a massive platform designed to carry a colossal payload, estimated between 10 and 15 nuclear warheads with multiple and independent trajectories (MIRV pour Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle).
Its power does not lie only in the number of its warheads. Sarmat is also thought to be the vector of the future Avangard hypersonic glidera weapon system capable of maneuvering at extreme speeds in the atmosphere to defeat any existing missile defense.
It is therefore a versatile platformcombining increased strike force with the capacity to carry conventional loads or next generation weapon systems.
Why does this new Sarmat test change the strategic situation?
This success is crucial because it validates the Sarmat’s most feared capacity: its ability to borrow unconventional trajectories. Vladimir Putin spoke of a scope of more than 35,000 kilometers and suborbital capacity.
Concretely, this means that the missile can reach American territory not by the shortest route, via the North Pole, but by circling the globe. by the South Pole. This approach constitutes a real strategic headache for theI’ll take it and the United States.
The entire American detection and interception system is historically oriented towards the north to counter an attack from Russia. A strike arriving from the south would render a large part of this radar shield inoperative, drastically reducing warning times.
It is an asymmetry designed to make decades of American defensive investments obsolete and to circumvent the existing shield.
What is the real context of this Russian success?
This success, although real, masks a much more complex reality. The Sarmat program has suffered a series of delays and failures not publicly acknowledged by Moscow.
IISS analysts (International Institute for Strategic Studies) report at least two major failures: an explosion of the missile in its silo in September 2024 and a failure during the propulsion phase in November 2025.
This successful launch on May 12, 2026 is therefore only the second official success, pushing Russia to accelerate the commissioning to modernize its nuclear arsenal land.
The commander of the Russian strategic forces also announced that Sarmat would be put into “ experimental combat service » from the end of 2026. This haste contrasts sharply with the deployment of other systems, such as Yars, which benefited from a much more extensive test campaign.
The reason is simple: the clock is ticking for the old Voevoda missiles whose life extension is reaching its limits. Moscow appears to accept a level of risk that would make any other strategic program shudder.
