Recent satellite imagery suggests that Russia may have experienced a failed test of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM, also known as Satan II, at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
Images analyzed by CBS News show a crater roughly 200 feet wide and evidence of an explosion at the launchpad on September 21, alongside debris and signs of a large fire.
Trucks and fires in nearby trees further indicated the scale of the incident.
Experts like Pavel Podvig, director of the Russian Nuclear Forces Project, suggest the failure may have occurred during the missile’s defueling, potentially causing it to explode in its silo.
The test, believed to have taken place on September 19, aligns with a canceled Notice to Air Missions NOTAM in the region.
The Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located 500 miles from Moscow and 250 miles from the Finnish border, has been a key site for Russian missile tests.
This Sarmat test follows earlier launches, with the missile officially entering service in 2021.
The most recent launch in February 2023, coinciding with President Biden’s visit to Kyiv, reportedly failed according to U.S. officials.
Russia’s nuclear efforts, including the Sarmat ICBM, represent a broader strategy of military modernization, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized since suspending participation in the New START Treaty in February 2023.
The Sarmat, designed to travel 11,000 miles and carry a payload of up to 10 tons, is part of this modernization, in contrast to the U.S.’s older nuclear force.
The U.S. conducted Minuteman III ICBM tests in June and September of 2023, as noted by experts like Tom Karako from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who sees the Sarmat test as part of Russia’s nuclear posturing.
Reports indicate that Russia has faced multiple failed nuclear weapons tests in 2024, including with its Poseidon torpedo and Bulava submarine-launched missile.
Despite these setbacks, Russia aims to conduct seven ICBM tests this year according to its Strategic Missile Forces commander, Sergei Karakayev.