The robot, called Sarmat, is one of several advanced weapons presented by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 to replace the R-36 robot, which NATO calls “Satan”.
In the spring of 2022, around two months after Russia launched its war on Ukraine, Putin said that Sarmat “will reliably guarantee Russia’s security from external threats and make those who, in the heat of the moment, used aggressive rhetoric and tried to threaten our country think if”.
Sarmat is said to be able to be sent up extra quickly, which makes it difficult for the opposing defense to track.