Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu on Thursday hailed Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat strategic missile system as a defining achievement for the country’s scientific and industrial base, casting the next-generation nuclear weapon as evidence that Moscow has preserved its military-technological edge despite years of Western sanctions and geopolitical confrontation.
Speaking to reporters in Bishkek during a regional security gathering, Shoigu described the Sarmat complex as one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by Russia’s modern defense industry.
“To receive such a global-range missile with such characteristics is a great victory for our science, our industry, and our designers,” Shoigu said, according to remarks distributed by Russian state media.
The comments come as the Kremlin intensifies public messaging around its strategic weapons modernization program, a cornerstone of President Vladimir Putin’s broader effort to reinforce Russia’s status as a military superpower amid deepening tensions with NATO and the West.
The RS-28 Sarmat missile, often referred to in Western military reporting as “Satan II,” is designed to replace the Soviet-era R-36M intercontinental ballistic missile system that formed part of Moscow’s nuclear deterrent for decades. Russian officials say the new missile possesses virtually unlimited strike trajectories, enhanced survivability against missile defense systems, and the capacity to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads, including hypersonic glide vehicles.
Military analysts view the system as one of the central pillars of Russia’s strategic nuclear modernization campaign, alongside the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicle and the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone. Moscow has repeatedly argued that these systems are intended to neutralize expanding US and NATO missile defense infrastructure, which Russian officials portray as a direct threat to strategic stability.
Shoigu’s remarks also reflected a broader Kremlin narrative that Russia’s defense industry has adapted to economic restrictions imposed by the US and its allies since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Russian officials increasingly present domestic weapons development as proof that sanctions have failed to cripple the country’s advanced industrial capabilities.
The Sarmat program has become especially symbolic in that regard. Russian state media frequently portray the missile as a technological achievement demonstrating self-reliance under pressure from what Moscow calls Western attempts to isolate Russia economically and militarily.
Although Russian authorities have not disclosed the full operational specifications of the missile, state statements indicate that the Sarmat has a range exceeding 18,000 kilometers and can reportedly deliver a payload capable of bypassing existing missile defense shields through unconventional flight paths over both the North and South Poles.
The missile’s development has faced delays over the years, including repeated testing phases and technical adjustments. Still, the Kremlin has accelerated efforts to publicly emphasize progress on combat deployment following heightened tensions with NATO countries and expanded Western military assistance to Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Russian officials indicated that serial production and combat deployment of the Sarmat system were advancing as planned, with additional launch regiments expected to enter operational service. The Kremlin has linked those deployments to what it describes as a rapidly deteriorating global security environment.
In recent speeches, Putin has argued that the international order is undergoing a profound transformation marked by declining Western dominance and the emergence of a multipolar system led by powers including Russia and China. Within that framework, strategic deterrence remains central to Moscow’s security doctrine.
The Sarmat missile occupies a particularly important role in Russian military thinking because of its intended ability to penetrate layered missile defense systems developed by the US over the past two decades. Russian officials have repeatedly warned that such defense systems risk upsetting the balance of nuclear deterrence established after the Cold War.
Western governments and arms control experts, however, have expressed growing concern over the accelerating competition in advanced strategic weapons. Analysts warn that the deployment of increasingly sophisticated nuclear delivery systems by both Russia and the US could further weaken already fragile arms control frameworks.
The last remaining major bilateral nuclear arms treaty between Moscow and Washington, the New START agreement, has effectively stalled amid the collapse of diplomatic relations following the Ukraine war. Russian officials have accused the West of dismantling the foundations of strategic stability through sanctions, military expansion, and support for Kiev.
Shoigu’s appearance in Bishkek also carried broader geopolitical symbolism. Russia has sought to strengthen security coordination across Eurasia and deepen defense ties with allied and partner states as Moscow reorients its diplomatic and economic focus toward Asia, the Middle East, and the Global South.
For the Kremlin, showcasing advanced military systems like the Sarmat serves not only as a deterrence message to NATO but also as a statement about Russia’s resilience and strategic independence in an increasingly polarized world order.
Even as battlefield realities in Ukraine continue to dominate international attention, Moscow appears determined to signal that its military modernization campaign remains intact, and that its strategic nuclear capabilities continue to form the backbone of Russian power projection on the global stage.
—Inputs from Sputnik.
