Trending Now - Putin Celebrates Successful Test of New Powerful Ballistic Missile

WHO:

CNN - Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile.

ABC News - Putin has overseen efforts to upgrade the Soviet-built components of the Russian nuclear triad since coming to power in 2000.

WHAT:

CBS News - Russia tested a new long-range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

CNN - The Sarmat missile has an expected range over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) and can carry up to 16 independently targeted nuclear warheads.

ABC News - Putin declared the Sarmat missile to be "the most powerful missile in the world."

NPR - The Sarmat missile is designed to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles.

CNN - The Sarmat missile is expected to enter combat duty by the end of the year.

NPR - The missile's combined power of individually targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart.

ABC News - The Sarmat missile is capable of suborbital flight, with a range of more than 35,000 kilometers (21,700 miles).

WHERE:

CNN - The test launch occurred at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the northwestern Arkhangelsk region of Russia.

WHEN:

ABC News - The Sarmat missile's development began in 2011.

ABC News - The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the U.S. expired in February 2026.

WHY:

NPR - The test launch is part of efforts to modernize Russia's nuclear forces.

ABC News - Putin has brandished the nuclear sword to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.

HOW:

CNN - The Sarmat missile is liquid-fueled, requiring fueling shortly before launching, which is a disadvantage compared to solid-fueled missiles.

NPR - The Sarmat missile is part of a slew of new weapons revealed by Putin in 2018, designed to render U.S. missile defenses ineffective.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 17:42 UTC)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and has an expected range of over 10,000 kilometers. The missile, described by Putin as "the most powerful missile in the world," is designed to replace older Soviet-built systems and is expected to enter combat duty by the end of the year. The test launch took place at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia, as part of ongoing efforts to modernize the country's nuclear forces amid heightened tensions with the West.