The nuclear “superweapon” with which Russia wants to scare the world adds another failure to the list

Russia had planned to show off its military muscle at the end of Novemberbut reality played a trick on them. An intercontinental ballistic missile, which the Kremlin sells as a key piece of its strategic arsenal, ended up crashing a few meters from the silo from which it had been launched. The incident, recorded on video and broadcast on Russian networks, has not only ruined the test: has once again called into question Moscow’s real capacity to maintain its nuclear deterrence doctrine.

A launch that lasted seconds

The test was carried out on November 28 from an underground facility in the Orenburg region, near the border with Kazakhstan. The plan was ambitious: send a simulated warhead to a target located about 6,500 kilometers. What happened was almost the opposite.

It barely took off, the missile lost stability, began to deviate, turned around in mid-climb and descended without control. Before impact, it ejected a piece of its structure, probably as part of an automatic protocol to save the payload. Finally, it exploded on the ground, causing a fireball and a reddish cloud typical of the hypergolic fuels used by Russian ballistic weapons.

A few hours later, satellite images showed a crater and a strip of charred earth around the silo. The Russian military has not made any statements, But the analysts are clear: the test failed miserably.

Sarmat, nuclear jewel… that never stops shining

The missile involved would be, according to experts cited in international media, an RS-28 Sarmat, also known as Satan II in NATO. It is a new generation heavy ICBM with the capacity to transport:

On paper, a nuclear beast capable of destroying entire cities half a world away. In practice… a project full of setbacks.

The Sarmat aims to replace the old R-36M2, designed in Soviet times and manufactured in Ukraine, whose maintenance has become uncertain after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Moscow urgently needs this replacement to keep its deterrence capacity intact, but progress is coming in dribs and drabs:

As Western analysts acknowledge, Sarmat has become more famous for its failures than for its achievements.

The meaning of the headline: it’s not just a missile, it’s the image of Russian power

Putin has presented this program as proof that Russia is still a superpower capable of standing up to the United States even in its most sensitive field: strategic weapons.

He has called it a “truly unique weapon,” a “superweapon”, an element that would make anyone who wanted to challenge the Kremlin think twice.

However, each technical failure feeds the opposite narrative: Sarmat goes from being an instrument of global intimidation… to a source of international shame. That is why this accident goes beyond anecdotal: it directly hits Russian propaganda discourse.

Deterrence in low hours

Russia is immersed in a war that consumes resources at a brutal rate: artillery, drones, planes, military personnel, factories dedicated to the front… The huge human and economic expenditure in Ukraine is slowing nuclear modernization, which had been a strategic priority for the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, The US maintains close surveillance. Days before the failed test, an RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft—specialized in tracking missile launches—was deployed in Alaska. Washington continues to monitor every movement.

If the current Russian arsenal continues to age and the replacement does not arrive in time, Moscow could see its supremacy questioned in the field it cultivates most: the nuclear threat.

Time to cancel the project?

Even within Russia, critical voices are emerging. Some researchers suggest that the Sarmat program:

An uncertain future

Putin insists the missile will enter “operational service” in 2026. But the Nov. 28 test makes clear that the path is far from clear. AND, In geopolitical terms, each new failure erodes the aura of power a little more absolute with which Moscow wants to keep the world in check.