Russia's most feared ICBM, the Sarmat missile, has lost its edge. The Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) failed to reach an altitude of 4,000 feet just minutes after launch from a silo on the country's southern steppe.
The missile's malfunction was witnessed by those in the Dombarovsky air base in Orenburg Oblast near the Russian-Kazakh border, where the test site is located. A video posted on Telegram shows the Sarmat veering off course immediately after launch before cartwheeling upside down and crashing just a short distance from the silo.
The crash was accompanied by a fireball and a toxic cloud, which is characteristic of Russia's most powerful ICBMs. Satellite images taken since Friday show a crater and burn scar near the missile silo.
Experts point to this incident as likely a test of the Sarmat missile, designed to reach targets over 11,000 miles away. However, its failure raises serious concerns about the readiness of Russia's nuclear arsenal. The Sarmat is meant to replace Russia's aging R-36M2 strategic ICBM fleet.
The missile program's poor performance has delayed its entry into service since 2018. With Russia's military resources being diverted to fighting the war against Ukraine, modernizing its nuclear forces has stalled.
The missile's malfunction was witnessed by those in the Dombarovsky air base in Orenburg Oblast near the Russian-Kazakh border, where the test site is located. A video posted on Telegram shows the Sarmat veering off course immediately after launch before cartwheeling upside down and crashing just a short distance from the silo.
The crash was accompanied by a fireball and a toxic cloud, which is characteristic of Russia's most powerful ICBMs. Satellite images taken since Friday show a crater and burn scar near the missile silo.
Experts point to this incident as likely a test of the Sarmat missile, designed to reach targets over 11,000 miles away. However, its failure raises serious concerns about the readiness of Russia's nuclear arsenal. The Sarmat is meant to replace Russia's aging R-36M2 strategic ICBM fleet.
The missile program's poor performance has delayed its entry into service since 2018. With Russia's military resources being diverted to fighting the war against Ukraine, modernizing its nuclear forces has stalled.
! How can a country with one of the largest militaries in the world have a malfunctioning ICBM like the Sarmat? It's just insane 
. I mean, I know Russia is dealing with a lot of issues right now, but can't they get their act together when it comes to defense tech? 
This thing is supposed to be their top dog, and it can't even reach 4,000 feet?! Unbelievable! 
And now the entire program has been delayed...what's the point of even calling it a "program" if it's not working 
?
. I mean, 4,000 feet is way below the expected altitude – that's not exactly rocket science (pun intended)! And what's with the crazy cartwheeling motion before it crashes? It's like something out of a bad video game 
.
.
.
this is def a major setback for their nuke game 
i'm not saying they shouldn't be working on modernizing but this malfunc seems serious and it's gonna raise some red flags 
about their nuke readiness...fingers crossed they learn from this fail and get it together soon 
. And with their military resources being stretched thin in Ukraine, the last thing they need is a malfunctioning nuclear missile. The thought of those toxic clouds and fires just gives me chills. I hope Russia takes this as an opportunity to revamp their military tech and get back on track 
.
and wot's even worse is dat it failed 2 reach an altitude of 4k feet can u imagine bein da guy who tests out da worst missile ever 
what if this wasnt a test? what if they actually needed it for real? 
yeah it looks like russia is really struggling with their nukes 
they cant even get a simple launch right what's next gonna be 'oops' we forgot how to make our missiles work? 
and now they're saying it was a test, like who cares about that, the fact remains they messed up. 
the sarmat missile is meant to be their new ace in the hole, but if it can't even get off the ground, what's the point? 
but this whole thing just smells like a mess 
and with ukraine going on, you'd think they'd be focusing more on defense rather than trying to upgrade their nukes. 
. Like, can't they just have one decent test without drama?! It's not like it's gonna stop Russia from becoming a nuclear superpower or something 
It's like, there's this big crater and burn scar... what even is that?! Like, did the whole missile just disintegrate in space or something?! 
. I mean, I get it, Russia's got a lot on their plate right now with Ukraine and all, but come on! A nuclear superpower can't just have one bad test without anyone freaking out