World War 3 fears have exploded after Russia today announced it had ‘successfully tested’ its deadly Sarmat nuclear-capable rocket in a show of strength to the West. In the West, the doomsday rocket is known as Satan-2.

The apocalypse 208-ton intercontinental silo-launched 15,880mph missile is as tall as a 14-storey tower block. Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergei Karakayev told Vladimir Putin that the heavy intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] had been successfully tested. The launch had been expected around now but it failed to materialise on the scheduled dates, and the timeframe was extended. A plainly gloating Putin said today that Sarmat will carry four times more payload than its Western counterparts.

Putin called Sarmat “the most powerful missile system in the world” and said it will soon be deployed on combat duty.

He boasted: “The total yield of the delivered warhead is more than four times greater than that of any existing, most powerful Western equivalent.

“Most importantly, the missile can travel not only on a ballistic trajectory, but also on a suborbital one.

“Thirdly, this allows for a range of over 35,000 kilometres (21,750 miles) while simultaneously doubling its missile defence performance.

“And finally, it has the ability to penetrate all existing and prospective missile defence systems.

"At the end of this year, Sarmat (Satan-2) will indeed be deployed on combat duty.”

It will be able to travel not only on a ballistic but also a suborbital trajectory, which will significantly increase its range.

Despite today’s success, it is only the second known successful test of a rocket that has been jinxed despite Putin’s boasts that it has been close to deployment.

The RS-28 Sarmat, the world’s largest missile, has only had one previous successful mission - in April 2022 - and is years behind schedule.

In September 2024, the monster hypersonic missile exploded on the launchpad at Plesetsk cosmodrome leaving a 200ft wide crater.

A test launch in November 2025 near Yasny, Orenburg region when a rocket flipped soon after takeoff and crashed triggering a giant explosion was reported as being a Sarmat, despite no official confirmation.

The dictator has fired two Russian space agency chiefs who falsely claimed Satan-2 was ready for deployment as a replacement for the R-36M2 Voevoda.

The head of the defence plant manufacturing Sarmat was detained last month.

Alexander Gavrilov, 55, is held in Siberia on mysterious “embezzlement” charges, according to Russian state media.

The rocket is designed to strike the West after flying over the North or South poles.