Vladimir Putin has issued a fresh warning to the West following the suspected test of an experimental nuclear-capable missile.
Video footage depicts the launch of an unidentified intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar test range in Russia’s Astrakhan region.
The Russian defense ministry has declined to specify the missile type, although it was launched from a mobile ground-based system.
Residents in Orenburg, Astrakhan, and Volgograd reported witnessing a peculiar object moving across the sky, with some likening it to a “space jellyfish.”
Local residents captured videos of the missile, which quickly circulated on social media platforms.
The launch was conducted as part of a state testing program for future missile systems amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
“The launch objectives were successfully achieved,” stated the defense ministry, offering no further details.
A similar launch on the same date last year was suspected to be a trial of a new iteration of the Topol missile, tentatively named Topol-ME.
Observers in Astrakhan, Dagestan, and Volgograd noted unusual white streaks in the sky.
The recent missile launch occurred on April 12, designated as Cosmonautics Day in Russia, commemorating Yury Gagarin’s historic space flight in 1961.
The missile tested in this latest launch is not believed to be the Sarmat (Satan-2), which has encountered delays in testing.
The Sarmat is expected to be the largest missile in Putin’s nuclear arsenal, described as an intercontinental silo-launched weapon capable of speeds up to 15,880 mph.
Reports indicate that the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant is facing challenges due to a shortage of electronic components needed for the production of strategic missiles, particularly the RS 28 (Sarmat) system.
The missile’s electronics largely rely on foreign components, complicating production amid international sanctions. Efforts are underway to address these supply challenges.
