The terrifying weapons Russia's military is developing right now (2024)

Vladimir Putin said Russia was putting the world on notice when it tested its next-generation international continental ballistic missile this month.

The Sarmat – dubbed ‘Satan II’ by Nato – is an advanced weapons delivery system capable of hitting anywhere in Europe or US with a devastating nuclear payload.

It can reportedly travel more than 11,000 miles, deliver 10 tonnes of explosives and reach speeds of Mach 20.

To put that into context, the speed of sounds is Mach 1 and Washington DC is 4,800 miles from Moscow.

It marks a significant upgrade to Russia’s Cold War era nuclear armoury and the West has been keeping close tabs on its development.

But the Sarmat is by no means the only weapon being worked on by the Kremlin’s network of military scientists and industrialists.

In March 2018, Mr Putin delivered one of the most aggressive speeches of his time in office up to that point.

He revealed that his defence ministry was working on numerous top-secret weapons projects which he said would give the Kremlin the edge over Nato.

It’s difficult to separate fact from fiction about the weapons Russia has been developing ever since but some details have leaked out – perhaps deliberately – while independent experts have been able to glean some more.

As well as the Sarmat, we know about five other frightening schemes Mr Putin is trying to bring to life in order to put his military on a par with Nato.

These are the weapons which he says will ensure Russia is a 21st century superpower, whether the West likes it or not.

Avangard HGV

Glide missiles are a new class of weapons being developed by the world’s military superpowers.

Like ballistic missiles, they leave the Earth’s orbit before re-entering but gliders are designed to be more manoeuvrable as they approach their target, making them harder to intercept.

They fly at a lower altitude, giving them the speed of an ICBM but the ability to fly below the field of vision of defence systems like a cruise missile.

Vladimir Putin has claimed the Avangard’s course can be adjusted in mid-air and that it will travel at above between Mach 20 and 27, which would make it one of the fastest weapons ever developed.

Units responsible for maintaining the weapon are already in combat duty.

Poseidon Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

The West has known about the development of an unmanned submarine drone since 2015, a new type of weapons system capable of carrying a nuke.

It is reportedly designed to reach a depth of 1,000 metres and – if reports that is nuclear-powered are correct – has a theoretically limitless range.

According to a US analysis, it would be carried on board a conventional submarine and armed with two-megaton warheads that could be detonated below the surface.

It is thought to be intended as a response weapon if Russia was hit first with a nuclear payload.

As well as being able to hit naval targets with conventional warheads, it could be used to attack coastal cities by triggering what reports have described as a ‘radioactive tsunami’ when detonating close to the shore.

Vladimir Putin has described them as ‘quiet, highly manoeuvrable and [they] have hardly any vulnerabilities for the enemy to exploit’.

Burevestnik Nuclear Powered Cruise Missile

Russia has been attempting to develop a cruise missile with a theoretically unlimited range because it would be powered by a nuclear reactor.

Cruise missiles are designed to fly at low altitude to avoid detection and hit highly accurate targets.

The Buresevestnik has had a troubled development: a test flight using the nuclear engine ended in disaster when it exploded and killed at least five nuclear scientists sent to recover it from the sea where it had crashed.

A US report said it would be a ‘unique’ weapon if the technical difficulties could be overcome but the weapon appears to still be in development.

At a ceremony honouring the specialists killed in the August 2019 blast, Mr Putin said Russia ‘will certainly be perfecting this weapon regardless of anything’.

Kinzhal Air-Launched Ballistic Missile

The Kremlin has developed a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead which can be launched from an aircraft.

According to the US, the weapon is a modified version of the Iskander missile system, a ground-based launcher which has been in use for more than a decade, designed to be fitted to a supersonic fighter jet.

Its shorter range means it was potentially developed to attack naval targets but, unlike other weapons on the list, may have already been used in Ukraine.

On March 19, Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have hit a weapons depot in western Ukraine using the missile, although it can’t be verified what type of weapon was actually deployed.

If confirmed, it would be the first time a hypersonic missile – a rocket capable of travelling at five times the speed of sound – has been used in warfare.

The Khinzal can be fitted with a nuclear warhead but was carrying a conventional bomb when Russia says it was used in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has claimed it can be moved in the air and the pace at which it is launched and travels is designed to help it evade missile defence systems.

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Tsirkon Hypersonic Cruise Missile

The Tsirkon is an anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile which is capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and can be fired from surface vessels or submarines.

Vladimir Putin claimed it can hit a target 1,000km away and that the defence ministry is developing a land-based version.

After being launched by a booster engine, it achieves rapid speeds by sucking in the air around it via a ‘scramjet’ and flies so fast through the atmosphere that the air in front of it turns into plasma.

This is significant because plasma absorbs radio waves, making it hard for missile detection systems to spot it.

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