By Aaron Miller-
The Pentagon has responded after Russia tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, dubbed the ‘Satan 2’. It comes as Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ‘special military operation’ stretches into its eighth week in Ukraine, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently saying the ‘battle for Donbas has begun’.
Russia said on Wednesday that it had conducted a first test launch of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. The test is perceived to be Russia’s coded response to the U.S and NATO, following warnings of unpredictable consequences if they continued to supply Ukraine with weapons to help it win the war against Russia. Since the warning, the U.K and The U.S have announced plans to send more weapons to Ukraine, leaving open the serious uncertain threat from Russia, a country led by a deranged dictator.
The U.S and NATO cannot be seen to succumb easily to threats made by a despot like Putin, but have the uncomfortable challenge of finding an appropriate balance requiring it not to be reckless in designing a proportionate response for Russia.
Russia has policies that forbid it from deploying nuclear weapons unless a foreign country poses an existential threat to it, but Russia is not known for sticking to policies.
The Pentagon responded to the tests by stating that this was not deemed as a “threat” to the US and its allies and that Russia had alerted international partners of the test in accordance with nuclear treaties.
Amid foreign support and sanctions, the sinking of the Moskva warship and a state TV reporter claiming World War III has already started, Russia has successfully tested its RS-28 Sarmat missile, a new addition to its nuclear arsenal.
The missile, dubbed by NATO as ‘Satan II’, is said to be capable of firing up to 12 nuclear warheads in one go, travelling 6,000 miles and targeting an area the size of France.
In response to the missile test, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told a press briefing (as per The Epoch Times): “Testing is routine, and it was not a surprise,” adding that he ‘has not deemed the test to be a threat to the United States or its allies’.
Kirby also said the Pentagon ‘remains focused on Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine’.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, the missile was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in north-west Russia and hit targets in the Kamchatka peninsula in the country’s far-east.
The missile ‘has unique characteristics that allow it to reliably overcome any existing and future missile defence systems,’ the ministry said.
In a statement, Russia’s military said: “The launch is the first in the government test program. After the completion of the test program, the tested Sarmat missile system will become part of the strategic missile forces.”
According to Russia’s military, a test launch of the nuclear-capable ICBM was carried out 15:12 Moscow time (1212 GMT) on Wednesday from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the northwestern Arkhangelsk region.
“The launch is the first in the government test program. After the completion of the test program, the tested Sarmat missile system will become part of the strategic missile forces,” Russia’s military said following the launch.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Sarmat ICBM will have “no analogues” in the world for a long time and will make those who seek to threaten Russia think twice.
Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin called the test “a present to NATO.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that the missile would significantly increase the power of the country’s nuclear potential.
“The Sarmat missile has unique characteristics that allow it to reliably overcome any existing and future missile defense systems,” the ministry said, arguing that it would “significantly increase the combat power of [Russia’s] strategic nuclear forces.”