Russia tests RS-28 Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile on 13 May 2026

Key facts

• Russia successfully tested the RS-28 Sarmat, a heavy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) designed to replace the Soviet-era R-36M2 Voyevoda.
• The RS-28 Sarmat, dubbed 'Satan II' by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), is a silo-based missile with a launch weight exceeding 208 tonnes and a length of approximately 35 metres.
• The missile can carry Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs), including up to 10 heavy or 16 smaller nuclear warheads, and is capable of carrying the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle.
• It reaches speeds of up to Mach 20 (approximately 24,000 kmph) during its terminal phase and has a reported range exceeding 18,000 km.
• The system utilises inertial navigation supported by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) and began development in 2011.